Editorial: A salute to the heroes of the pandemic

They pick out your produce, fill your grocery shopping order, bag it up and cheerfully deliver it to your trunk. Employees at Jewel and other suburban stores take on the extra work to enable curbside pickup. It's one way to show care for those who might be older, vulnerable and suddenly forced to manage daily life by themselves.

­- Diane Dungey, Senior Deputy Managing Editor

It was 11 years ago that my wife called me at work to say it felt like an elephant ­was sitting on her chest. Twelve minutes later I was home, and Carpentersville paramedics were putting her on a stretcher and wheeling her out to an ambulance. They worked on her there for an hour, or so it seemed, before driving her to Sherman Hospital. I will forever be indebted to that ambulance crew and the people at the hospital who saved her life.

- Jim Baumann, Managing Editor

Having spent my fair share of time in Amita St. Joseph's hospital in Elgin over the past few years, and with having a sister who is a nurse on the front line in Charlotte, N.C., I can't give enough appreciation to the nurses of the world. Those who come to my mind first are the many former student-athletes in our area who have chosen the nursing profession and are out there now doing their part to save lives.

- John Radtke, High School Sports Editor

Where would we be without grocery store employees? We'd be hungry, thirsty and panicking about toilet paper. Every week, they make sure shelves are stocked with the necessities of life, not to mention some treats to help brighten our stay-at-home days. While many of us toil at home, they wear masks while mingling with shoppers throughout the day. They sound like heroes to me.

- Pete Nenni, Deputy Managing Editor

Fast food workers on the front lines:

Did you think the workers at McDonald's would be among those risking their health during this pandemic? Amid the calls to help restaurateurs maintain some business, it turns out suburbanites still like their fast food, too. In addition to the fast food chains risking their low-paid workers with at least near-contact with thousands of customers, we see fast casual workers running out to cars to serve customers indulging in drive-up service - maybe even in the rain. We have to thank all these people for these luxuries.

­­- Neil Holdway, Assistant Managing Editor

My cousin, a doctor at Elmhurst Hospital, had just returned home after finishing another daylong shift treating COVID-19 patients. Before going to bed she appeared on TV for a 5-minute Q&A segment to remind people how they should continue to protect themselves and stay safe during the pandemic. I'm proud of her for being so brave just like hundreds of thousands of other medical professionals on the front lines of providing care. It's one of those times were "thank you" isn't adequate enough.

- Mike Smith, Sports Editor

Thank you to all the folks - doctors, nurses, health department officials and others - who have taken the time to help us all better understand COVID-19, the challenges it presents, and the best thinking on what we can do to stay safe.

- Bob Smith, DuPage Editor

Bless the caregivers. You can tell when you visit a hospital that they don't think of themselves as anything special. They give themselves to their jobs, just like all of us do. Except their jobs enrich health, relieve pain, extend lives. They don't think of themselves as anything special. But they are. May they stay well.

- John Lampinen, Editor

Going in for a stress test 17 months ago, I had no idea what to expect. Turns out it wasn't good. An angiogram followed and a stent would not be enough; I needed a triple bypass. An immediate transfer to another hospital followed, and the ambulance crew of three could not have been more reassuring, calming me down for the surgery that would follow three days later. Eternal thanks to all involved.

- Don Friske, Night Sports Editor

Thank goodness pharmacy workers are on the job. My seasonal allergy symptoms pale in comparison to what COVID-19 patients are suffering, but I'm grateful I can pop in to a Walgreens or a Jewel-Osco for the blessed relief Claritin-D brings. Online apps provide a convenient way to refill prescriptions, and we can observe social distancing by using drive-through pickup.

- Michelle Holdway, News Editor

A friend from church works as a nurse practitioner at a community health center and we talk weekly as part of COVID-19 support circles that were formed. During early conversations, she was distraught to the point of crying over the lack of personal protective gear for the center's staff and the lack of availability of testing, even for the center's employees. Nonetheless, she was and is at work every day.

- James Kane, Deputy City Editor

To all my friends who are nurses and doctors working on the front lines across the country - I'm inspired every day by your dedication and selflessness to serve and comfort others. (A big shout out to Debbie Glasgow, a friend who is an ER nurse at Edward Hospital in Naperville.) And to all of the health care workers who are taking care of the aging population, whether in assisted living communities, rehab facilities or through home health services. Thank you for tending to this vulnerable population during this difficult time.

- Caroline Linden, News Editor

Watching a video recently of nurses and doctors lining hospital hallways to applaud a released COVID-19 patient gave me chills. Today, we applaud the doctors, nurses, orderlies and support staff who have helped so many of their patients recover - and have been there in crucial hours for those who did not.

- Lisa Friedman Miner, Metro Editor

On a December day a few years ago, I arrived to find my healthy 86-year-old stepmother ashen, weak and muttering. When I called 911, though, she found her voice. Hang up that phone right now! I won't go! Don't bother them! The paramedics arrived. In five minutes, basking in the glow of their care and complete attention, her fear melted away, even as they prepared to take her to the hospital. "Do you want to walk or ride (to the ambulance)?" one young man asked. She was smitten. "Ride," she said, smiling, ready for anything.

- Renee Trappe, SILMG Group Editor

At the hospital, doctors and nurses smile as they wave goodbye to a patient they've nurtured night and day for weeks. Then, they turn around and go back in to help the next one. Firefighters, EMTs and police rush to the aid of victims at an emergency, and as soon as calm returns, they immediately prepare for the next call. For first responders, what most of us experience as a temporary ordeal is virtual way of life. May our gratitude for their service never waver, even after this national ordeal is over - and they move on to the next one.

- Jim Slusher, Deputy Managing Editor/Opinion