I can't say it enough.
Nurses are our heroes, and their dedication to keeping us safe
is incredible.
Our next guest is an ER nurse from Florida
who quit her job to go work on the frontlines in New York
City.
Please welcome Barbara Edwards.
Hi, Ellen.
How are you?
Hi, Barbara.
I'm OK.
How are you?
Oh, my goodness.
I'm great.
Thank you so much for having me here.
You are like one of those people--
you have such a big heart and you are so genuine and so kind.
And I just can't say it enough.
I'm just so appreciative of you having me here.
Thank you.
I'm appreciative of you.
I'm so glad that I get to talk to somebody who is a real hero.
What you're doing is incredible, you
and millions of nurses and doctors, everyone on the front.
Thank you so much.
And where are you right now?
Right now I am in my hotel room, which is pretty much where
I've been either in this room or in a hospital
for the last month.
So this is your first time in New York?
It is my first time in New York.
It's a bit--
I remember my first time going to New York.
And it was so intimidating because it's just
such a big, big city.
I mean, obviously, you're in a different situation
where just you're going and working,
which is incredible that you left your job
to go work in New York.
But what has it been like for you?
Well, honestly, I think this is a little
different than any vacation that I would ever
take to New York City.
It really has just been overwhelming on the response
from the people here.
I came here to work.
I really didn't expect much more than
to show up and go in and out of a hospital.
And instead, it's just going out onto the streets.
The people that will just thank us for being here.
Honestly, New York City's just opened their hearts to us.
So yeah, the hotel has signs.
There are cards.
There are kids drawing for us.
There's just a lot of positivity, encouragement,
just a lot of love and appreciation for us being here.
So New York City has just loved on us.
Well, I mean, yeah.
I mean, because you left your job
and being an ER nurse at another hospital
to go and help out New York, because it is obviously
in need--
it's incredible.
So you left.
You have two kids, 14 and 17, is that right?
That's correct.
So what made you want to do this?
I mean, that's a big thing to take a chance and do this.
OK, so that was something that I had
to fight with for a little bit.
I hesitated to come.
I think what it came down to was watching the numbers every day
and seeing what was going on here, thousands of people
dying every day, and then to consider, if this were me
and my health care system, I just
knew that it would not be something
we could handle on our own.
It was really just me coming and helping health care workers
and helping people that were suffering and dying.
So what do you miss most?
When was the last time you saw your kids?
The last time I saw them-- it's been over a month
since I've seen them.
Wow.
What do you miss most about them?
Honestly, it's mostly been just cooking breakfast for them
in the morning.
That's a very special time for me and my children.
I miss hugs.
I miss movie night.
Honestly, it just comes down to the day in and day out.
I miss just everyday knowing what's going on in their life.
So I'm looking forward to getting home and cooking them
breakfast.
I mean, really, it's unbelievable what you did.
And you're by yourself.
You're in a hotel room.
You're going to work and then you come home.
And I can't even imagine the mental stress,
what that must feel like to not have someone to come home to
and to hug--
so it's amazing what you're doing.
But I know that you're making these connections with mostly
very sad situations.
But then there's a connection you have with a patient that's
giving you hope, right?
Yeah, I had the opportunity to spend five days
with the same patient.
And he had pretty much gotten to the point where
he could breathe on his own.
He had gotten past the infection.
And it really came down to him needing strength.
And he couldn't do that on his own.
So every day, I'd come in and I realized the more
that I would coach him or encourage him, hold his hand,
put my hand on his shoulder, call his name,
remind him what his goals were, just telling him every day,
you have to get stronger, your goal is to get out of this bed,
you're going to get out of his bed.
So every day that I did that, it just
seemed like you could see him every day
get a little more stronger and more alert.
And so finally, I did come in one day,
and he had not been able to move his arms or legs.
I come in, and I say good morning every morning
that I come in.
And so as soon as I walked in to say good morning,
he picked up his hand and he grabbed mine.
And that was huge.
That was huge for him.
And I just looked at his face.
And you could tell he couldn't wait
to show me what he could do.
So honestly, I feel like that experience in itself
has been enough to show me that there is victory
and there is hope here.
And I'm just so thankful that I had the opportunity
to come here and do this.
Well, that guy is a very lucky guy
that you were assigned to his room.
That's incredible.
We have to take a break.
We're going to come back and talk more with you.
But I can't say enough about how cool that is what you're doing.
We're back with Barbara.
She is a nurse from Florida who left her job
to help out New York City.
Left her kids.
Hasn't seen her kids in a month.
Talk about the definition of selfless,
is this nurse right here you're talking to.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, look, as I said, all nurses who
are working right now and risking their lives
and not seeing their families to help other people--
that's already like--
Incredible.
--amazing.
So you work 24 days straight, washing
clothes is in a hotel bathtub.
Is that what you're doing?
That's what I heard?
I did.
Honestly, as busy as we've been, it's
been easier for me to just wash my own laundry in the bathtub.
See?
You do what you have to do.
What is that knocking?
I hear someone knocking at your door
Would you like me to get-- is it OK?
Can I be excused for a minute?
Yes, someone's knocking at the door.
You should go see what that is.
Hello.
Oh!
Oh my goodness.
Thank you.
There's nobody out here.
No, they had to drop it and leave
because of social distancing.
So I sent you a care package.
It's some wine.
It's some chocolate, pictures of your kids.
There's some Ellen swag so you can wear stuff.
You skip laundry for one day.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Oh my gosh.
This is adorable.
Thank you, Ellen.
Well, Barbara, thank you.
One more thing I completely forgot-- yeah,
there's your kids.
One more thing I thought you could really use
is I have some friends at Green Dot, who make
banking and savings simple.
I'm sure you know that.
And we're going to give you $20,000.
Oh my goodness.
Well deserved.
Oh my gosh.
Oh my goodness.
Ellen!
It's a mobile bank account from Green Dot.
And that is going to you.
You're getting $20,000 for being who you are, Barbara.
Oh my gosh, Ellen.
You are too generous, too kind.
Well, you are-- and Green Dot is.
Thank you for everything you do.
Yes, thank you for everything you do.
And when this is all over, please come to the show.
We'll get in touch with you and have you
and your kids come to the show.
And I'd love to meet you in person.
Thank you so much, Ellen.
You are-- see?
I told you you're amazing?
Did I not say that?
Yeah, you did.
But I told you, you're amazing.
Thank you.
It seems like we're both amazing.
I know.
Andy's here.
Yeah.
All right, Barbara.
Good talking to you.
We'll be right back.