Mitzie Pickersgill – A Soldier in the Battle Against COVID-19

When Mitzie Pickersgill received what many before her had considered a terrifying request from the Ministry of Health, she accepted the challenge without hesitation.

The call came from the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA).

It was an invitation to the trained Practical Nurse to join the response team in Bull Bay, St Andrew, following the discovery of the first case of COVID-19 in the country.

This meant packing her bags and leaving her family to venture into unknown territories.

In less than two hours post-contact, the courageous mother of two was ready.

“Other colleagues were backing down, but a team was needed. I saw it on the news where people were dropping dead from the virus, but I didn’t fear… I was prepared by God for this,” she says.

As a first responder, Pickersgill was away from home for over four months on her first stint.

She admits that the sacrifices were many, including dealing with the emotional pain of a miscarriage she had suffered months earlier; initially withholding her location from her family to minimize the worry, virtually parenting her preteen sons who were also trying their best to adjust to online learning at the time; and not being able to physically comfort her child whose father had passed while she was away.

Also fresh on her mind, is one instance when one of her sons, who struggles with the sickle cell disease, fell ill one night while she was deployed at the lockdown facility.

“His grandmother called me one night and said that he wasn’t feeling well. I walked her through what needed to be done to assist him. He called back about 1 o’clock in the morning and said, ‘Mommy I’m vibrating. I feel like I’m floating off the bed and my heart feels like it is coming out my chest,” she recalls.

Pickersgill says she ended the painful call to seek help on her knees.

“I began praying. I said ‘God, You put me here to help others, so I trust You with my son.’ When I called back, I heard that he was fine. I said, ‘to God be the glory.”

Her challenges, she admits, were not few, but her commitment to her job never wavered.

“When asked how I coped, I say I considered myself to be overseas working. We would go overseas to work away from our families, so why can’t we do it for our countries as healthcare workers? It’s hard but we chose the field,” she says, adding that her trials did not negatively impact the way she treated the patients, who she always ensured were as comfortable as possible.

In addition to her undiluted passion for her job, the nurse tells JIS News that she draws strength from an undying commitment to playing her part in advancing the welfare of others and a fierce determination to contribute to a world safe enough for her children.

“I told my colleagues that persons are fighting to survive, so let us all help in fighting the good fight. Death is inevitable, but we must do what we can to prevent the spread of the virus and to build a better nation, so our children can return to their normal life and continue to work towards their aspirations. My children’s dreams gave me courage,” she says.

Like that of a soldier, the nurse considers her responsibility an essential service for the betterment of the country – one she continues to offer as a staff member at Victoria Jubilee Hospital.
Pickersgill expresses gratitude to the MOHW for its recognition of the sacrifices made by herself and her colleagues.

As the Ministry wraps up its observation of Healthcare Workers Appreciation Month, SEHRA’s Regional Director, Errol Greene, applauds battlefront staff for their courage and a job well-done.

“The virus was novel and there were a lot of uncertainties, yet persons put their own safety aside to help those who were in need and that’s laudable,” he notes.

His gratitude stretches beyond the contribution of first responders, reaching others who he acknowledges for working assiduously to achieve economic and social recovery.

Greene says, “I’d like to thank not just those who we see every day in white uniforms, but everyone who contributed to us being here today. The Jamaica Defense Force, the police, immigration staff, the National Health Fund… Thanks also to corporate Jamaica for their assistance of healthcare workers who were treated with gifts and tremendous support in terms of transportation and accommodation.”

In addition to the festivities, the Ministry is to erect a monument in honour of healthcare workers who died as a result of COVID-19.