When Alan Hawse goes to work at the Medical
University of South Carolina in Charleston,
he brings with him a special ability,
a talent, really, that he uses when he
cares for the sickest of the sick COVID
patients. He takes pictures of what you
and I would usually never see because
before he became a nurse 11 years ago
he spent 23 years as a newspaper photographer
and that gives him the ability to
tell the stories of these patients.
So many frontline workers have said to us
if only the public could see what we see.
Well, Allen has convinced the
largest hospital in South Carolina
to allow him to give sight to what
those caregivers routinely see.
His pictures document
Covid's grip as it tightens.
Every time he gets permission
to photograph, either from the
patients or their family members.
The mother holding a picture of the newborn.
She can't touch the girlfriend
who keeps a bedside journal.
This is Allen's colleague, a nurse.
He's triple vaccinated,
but a lifelong asthma patient.
My arm. Give me a second no. Yeah,
you slow down and well, our producer was
in the room with a
video camera breathing.
I don't need anything else.
Exaggerated anymore.
Kim, can you open your eyes for me?
27 year old Kim was an exception.
Trust that you can hear us.
Can you squeeze our hand?
Can you squeeze?
Maybe you shouldn't do that.
OK, alright, ready 123.
All right on our side.
Finally.
Joel David Croxton was 72
years old when he died.
This was the nurse who broke down after
she called his wife to tell her it
was time to come in and say goodbye.
His wife, Sandy holding his hand.
A nurse holding an iPad while
a chaplain prayed with him.
This was a picture of Croxton
that worried Allen Hawes.
Would it be too painful for his wife to see?
Then again, Hawes usually
never sees the families again.
On this day they did,
Allen Hawes saw Sandy Croxton again.
This time they just held each other.
No pictures needed. Just thank you.
To each other. David Begnaud,
CBS News, New York.