China.org.cn | March 12, 2020
Hubei Daily:
Since the outbreak, most people have chosen to stay at home, but sanitation workers and volunteers have chosen to go to the frontline. How did you persuade your families to give you their understanding and support? And what impressed you most during that time? Thank you.
Zhang Chunxiang:
At the very beginning when I signed up for the job, my husband was worried, because he said that I am vulnerable and could easily be infected at such an advanced age. I told him that hospitals are specialized in protection and that we would wear protective clothing as medical workers do during daily work. As long as we paid enough attention, there would be no problem. My daughter called her father and said, "Daddy, please let mom do whatever she wants to do." So, persuaded by my daughter, my husband finally agreed.
Something that really touched me was one day when I went to the ward to collect garbage and I saw a patient's bedpan was full, so I cleaned it and returned it. The woman expressed her thanks to me. I told her that it was my duty. Then I encouraged her to cooperate with the doctor to cure the disease and so she could get better soon. She nodded. I tried to comfort her and encourage her to gain confidence in fighting the disease. I think my work is very meaningful.
After we finished our work in the hospital, we went to a hotel for 14 days of quarantine. All 15 sanitation workers are now in good condition and we have returned to our own positions. We will continue our daily work and keep our city clean. Thank you.
Yang Xue:
When I told my mother that I wanted to be a volunteer, she was hesitant. She warned that I would be in contact with a lot of people and could get infected, worried that it was too risky. I explained to her that if I could protect myself in a scientific way, the virus is not invincible. She finally agreed. Her encouragement and support have inspired me a lot during my work.
There are many stories that touch me every day as a volunteer. I'd like to share one of them with you. One day, we received a task from the Hongshan District Committee of the Communist Youth League of China to transfer some medical supplies from Dongxihu District to a mobile cabin hospital in Hongshan. After the mission was made public, 10 vans came to help. While loading the supplies, we found that more vehicles were needed. So we sent out messages on WeChat groups calling for more volunteers. Ten more vans came to help us in a short time. The drivers were all willing to load those goods onto their vans. There were a total of 20 vans that day. I drove to the hospital first and communicated with staff members there about the delivery and other details. Then our team came. When I saw a fleet of vans with their emergency flashers on, I was deeply moved. We all came to support a common goal, hoping that Wuhan can get better soon. That's what we are doing now. I feel so proud to be involved in the volunteer work and fighting together with other people. Thank you.