Huntsville nurse goes to Boston to treat COVID-19 outbreak

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - After her father suddenly passed away last August, ICU nurse Liz Adams felt an even stronger calling to care for others in what could be their final days.

“I’ve always been very thankful for all the nurses at Huntsville Hospital who took care of my dad," says Adams. "I can’t ever repay them, but I feel like I can pay it forward.”

When she heard of the great need for nurses up North to address the COVID-19 pandemic, she knew it was her opportunity.

"I can't really explain it, but I basically was like, 'Well, I'm a critical care nurse of 6 years, been a nurse for 9. I'm the perfect person to go help, so why not.'"

With that, she packed her bags and headed to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, one of the hardest hit areas in the country.

"That first couple days, I was just in total shock."

Being in the Intensive Care Unit, Adams sees the very worst things this virus is capable of. She says it’s important to remember COVID-19 won’t send most patients to the ICU, but for those who are unfortunate enough to end up there, it’s a nightmare.

"I've just never seen anything like it. It's hard to put into words how just devastating it is to the body."

Dealing with extreme circumstances, Adams not only works extra hard to stay physically safe by doing things like checking her PPE, taking Zinc for boosted immunity and working to get enough sleep, but she also works to address the emotional toll of it all.

"We all have to compartmentalize that side of it because me dealing with my emotions doesn't really help patients right now."

She took to Facebook to share updates of her journey, both to keep friends and family informed of her well-being and to spread one of her biggest messages: awareness.

"I just want people to realize that it is serious. It can become very serious."

Still, the biggest thing she’s learned from her Boston co-workers...

“I hope that once again Huntsville never sees what I’m seeing here. But I think that’s my biggest takeaway is just realizing how petty some of the things I’ve complained about in the past have been and wanting to do better, wanting to be more like these nurses honestly.”

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