More threatening than covid, more dramatic than hurricanes, the scariest this week are the weather channel meteorologists. Not satisfied with the quick moving Isaias, they pile on that 89% of hurricanes are yet to arrive in the US in a very active year. Look, we have no more room for any more toilet paper or water so stop threatening us. From Florida to New England, we prepared and alerted. Then we get a reminder of just how life can change in an instant last week.
Following death and destruction in North Carolina, further inland the storm traveled as far as West of Philadelphia. Dr. Brian Lally, a good friend and radiation oncologist in Doylestown Pa with U Penn tells me, “The sky darkened, something hit my window, the power went off and I went to the vault to help the patient off the table. As the accessory power went on, there was crashing as a tornado blew the wall of glass into the lobby. The cars upended in the parking lot and everyone was escorted into the vault.” The roaring was terrific he tells me as the storm swirled. He made his way out to find the hospital daycare in the adjacent building had its roof caved in.
Dr. Lally, staff and teachers formed a human chain with tiny figures, some small enough to be in arms, and evacuated to his department. The concrete and lead lined vault filled with small frightened faces. Fourteen were missing in the head count! A tech working there knows the daycare well and went to investigate. They found them all huddled into a small room/closet where the tree had fallen through the roof. EMT’s arrived and everyone was triaged with only minor injuries.
There were no masks, there was no hand washing, there was surely no distancing. There was massive surge of loving care and in an instant, heroes were born. The tiny faces with big eyes break your heart. Privacy keeps me from sharing the photo but babies, toddlers all crunched under the large intimidating radiation machine in the concrete vault bring awe and tears. 140 children saved.
Thank you, Dr. Brian and staff for reminding us all how in a moment of crisis, care for each other is the only matter. Diving in to rescue with no thought of personal safety. The “managing” for months this new reality in our homes and work, the threat of more hurricane drama ahead, the grieving for suffering and loss that many have and will face, all disappear in an instant. When we rescue someone, we are saved.