Oakland ICU Nurse Breaks Down

N W O D S K A E R B E S R U N U C I

12” x 16” Oil on stretched Canvas January 19, 2021

The heart-wrenching expression on my portrait of Oakland, California emergency covid Nurse Marcella Aiello breaking down in tears says what we all should know, but don’t. As we pass the 400,000 (January 2021) milestone of those Americans who have died from covid, healthcare workers are under extreme pressure, fighting fatigue and exhaustion in ICUs across the nation. The surge continues to rise. On this day Marcella said, “My shift devolved into me sobbing in the ambulance bay FaceTiming my husband who encouraged me to finish my shift ... and not just go home. Today I saw far too many families lose a loved one that they had to say goodbye to, ” explained Marcella.