'Fierce Patient Advocate': Nurse Treats Coronavirus Patients

CHICAGO — Fred Rogers told a story on his children's show Mr. Roger's Neighborhood about being scared as a child when he saw something upsetting on the news. "My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping,'" he told his audience. Though we're now living through an unprecedented health crisis, at Patch, we want to help you look for the helpers in your own community, so we've launched an initiative to recognize these everyday heroes.

This submission comes from Leigh Ryan, who nominated her daughter, Emma Ryan, an ICU nurse at OSF Little Company of Mary hospital.

"Emma is a fierce patient advocate," her mother said. "She is a true nurse in every sense of the word. She takes care of her COVID-19 patients as though they were her own family members."

Do you have a local hero you would like us to know about? Share their story here.

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