Coronavirus Vaccine Appointment Volunteer Is Community Hero

PUTNAM VALLEY, NY — A Putnam County man armed with a laptop and a growing list has been dubbed a community hero for helping people score those hard-to-get appointments for coronavirus vaccines.

Cole Caulfield said he learned how to navigate New York's system in mid-February when people with immune disorders became eligible to be vaccinated and he sweated to make an appointment for himself.

"I felt a little guilty when I got 'stabbed' because so many other people were stressed out and frustrated," he told Patch. "It's that classic line about health care accessibility — who is it really accessible to? The experience of getting the appointment itself is a little bit more than daunting. It felt so cruel."

Caulfield, who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, said his experiences in the past year while isolated at home with his family, including his work at the Putnam Valley Library and community organizing for social justice, made it feel natural to pivot to helping others get their vaccinations scheduled.

"The first 10 appointments were really visceral for me," he said.

First composed of family and friends, his list quickly began to lengthen and to include people he doesn't know. One of those early scores helped out a friend of a friend who was trying to schedule an appointment for her 69-year-old uncle.

Abigail O'Brien, who knows the Caulfields because their kids attend school together, passed on the uncle's information, and the next thing she knew her friend was crying with relief.

"I told his wife 'what your husband is doing is truly amazing, he is a hero for our community," O'Brien told Patch.

Caulfield said video gamers and people who are big into online shopping know what it's like to continually refresh a webpage and then swoop in. He actually reprogrammed one of his gaming mouse buttons.

"I'm using technology to my advantage, but with so many people trying to grab shots it's competitive," he said.

He has just joined a Facebook called Vaccine Buddies, to expand his ability to help folks who just need help understanding the way through.

"I am standing on the shoulders of others! I'm one small story," he told Patch. "There are people out there that have been doing a hundred a day!"