SOUTHAVEN, Miss.— A crowd gathered outside Baptist Memorial Hospital in Desoto County, Mississippi, Tuesday night to support healthcare workers who are taking care of patients with COVID-19.
The group consisted of a coalition of churches. Members sang and prayed in the parking lot, and doctors and nurses were greeted with applause outside the main entrance as music played in the background.
Lynn Leininger, a nurse at Baptist-Desoto, said she is grateful people came out to support them.
“Wow. Just absolutely amazed and thankful that the community loves us enough to come out here and support us and encourage us and to sing praise and worship. It’s just very uplifting,” Leininger said.
The battle against COVID-19 has been tough for healthcare workers. Nearly 2,000 people in Mississippi have died from the virus.
Currently, there are 75 patients at Baptist-Desoto and 17 of them are in the Intensive Care Unit.
“We had to get used to it but, you know, that’s what we signed up to do. We’re nurses and that’s what we do at this hospital. We take care of patients,” Leininger said.
Gwen Neal says she came out to support the healthcare workers because she appreciate the front line workers.
“They’re in a hospital 8, 12, 16 hours at a time,” Neal said. “We’re just supporting their efforts. That they’re not fighting this in isolation.”
Workers who couldn’t come outside watched from the windows. Some of the hospital administrators handed out candy bars to workers as they came in and out. It was a small gesture but another way to say thank you.
