March, 2020
May, 2020
November, 2021
The first portrait I captured of Emily was during the Stay at Home order. She was working as an RN at an Emergency Department and was 8 months pregnant with her second child.
About 1 month after her portrait was captured for the Essential series, she was photographed at home with her husband, Zach, their son, Leo, and their newborn daughter, Charlie.
Emily is pregnant with baby #3 and is still working as an RN in the Emergency Department.
“Each pregnancy has been very different,” Emily said. “When I was pregnant with Charlie, I was so scared coming to work for my safety and her safety. There were too many unknowns and being in the ER was extremely stressful. People were afraid to come to the hospital, so we weren’t very busy, which made things a little more manageable.
This time around I feel more comfortable for my safety. We have learned a lot about COVID, and I was vaccinated. I will be boosted here shortly! However, the ER/hospitals are at maximum capacity. And a new level of stress is arising… Even our ICUs are full. I’ve never seen that happen before. We regularly have 50+ people in the waiting room and we do our best to see and treat everyone appropriately. It’s exhausting.”
Emily shared that the pandemic has been the most difficult and overwhelming chapter of her nursing career to date. The challenges she has faced day in and day out have created a new worry—what if her loved ones need medical attention while the hospitals are at capacity? She presses on and continues to work in the Emergency Department until she will take some time off for maternity leave.
“I love what I do and I love all my roles as a caregiver/mom,” Emily said. There is nothing sweeter than quality time with family and friends. I’m looking forward to the challenges of maternity leave with my 3.5 year old, Leo, and 1.5 year old, Charlie. I’m excited to be able to bring new life into the world. I can’t wait to see my new baby’s sweet face, and find out the gender!”