Care Packages Assembled For Hospital Nurses: McLean Hero

MCLEAN, VA — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented times. Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these everyday heroes.

One of these submissions comes from McLean's Paragon Home Care owner Juan Tuason, who nominated human resources director Julie Maher. Julie organized care packages for nurses at Virginia Hospital Center earlier in the week and wants to continue this.

"She is the type of person who is always thinking of others - and thinks of herself last, if at all," Tuason stated in his nomination.

Paragon Home Care regularly works with local nurses and other health care professionals, who may recommend home care for patients discharged from hospitals, Maher told Patch. When Tuason asked what nurses need, one nurse suggested lip balms due to chapped lips after long shifts wearing protective gear.

Maher decided to put together care bags with lip balms and hand creams, addressing dry skin from frequent handwashing. Bags also include treats such as cookies and Tic Tacs, which the nurses don't have to touch when dispensed from the container. She took numerous trips to dollar stores, Targets and Costcos to find items for the nurses.

According to Tuason, volunteers wearing personal protective equipment helped assemble the bags. Maher delivered them to Virginia Hospital Center on Monday, the same week of National Nurses Day.

Once she organizes the care package deliveries on a regular basis, she would like to recruit volunteers to help assemble bags.

"Our goal is to be able to do this on a weekly basis for other hospitals in the area," said Maher.

Paragon Home Care is continuing its operations with screening and other protocols for caregivers who serve elderly clients. But Maher has plenty of gratitude for the nurses and other health care workers on the front lines in hospitals.

"I think they're working very hard. I think they're heroes," she said.

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

All photos included in this post are owned by identified third parties who have given Patch the right to use explicitly for the Patch Local Heroes series.

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• Nurse Cares For Canterbury Residents During Crisis: Virginia Hero
• Young Firefighter's Dedication During Coronavirus: Virginia Hero