Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, they take care of us. Meet Miami’s essential workers

They ferry passengers from one side of the city to the other, deliver food to the needy, provide emergency healthcare, take care of the elderly. They save lives and place the deceased to rest.

They are teachers finding creative ways to keep students motivated, police officers who help keep the streets safe, religious leaders providing courage, hope and peace from a distance. They are pediatricians, sanitation workers, home care nursing assistants, postal service workers, veterinarians.

Some South Florida residents are preparing to head back to their jobs after nearly two months of strict shutdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but these essential workers never stopped. Many did not have the luxury to adhere to the “stay at home” decree because they couldn’t afford to do so, or because their jobs didn’t allow for it.

We counted on them to continue risking their own health to serve our needs.

“It’s extremely gratifying to me to be able to serve the public,” said Franklin Brown, a bus operator for 23 years.

But even as they continued to show up for work each day, these essential workers gave up a lot. They sacrificed spending time with their own families to keep others safe. They scrounged for personal protective equipment as supplies tapped out; figured out how to teach remotely and keep the youth engaged. They cut back on their own staff to be able to continue to see patients.

“I’ve had to furlough staff, cut hours and make changes in the practice to reduce overhead and continue to be able to practice medicine during this difficult time,” said Dr. Keri L. Livingstone, who runs an internal medicine and pediatric practice in Miami Shores.

Some have had to endure their own grief: “I lost my cousin throughout the virus,” said U.S. Postal Worker Mary Johnson as she wiped away tears. “She was a cancer survivor, but this took her. It took her.”

Even as they they take precautions in their line of work, they have fears about contracting or spreading the coronavirus; of never feeling comfortable enough to greet people with a kiss or warm embrace; of businesses reopening too soon; of losing that daily dose of positive energy even as there is optimism that some good will come out of the coronavirus pandemic experience.

“My biggest hope is that we all learn something from this,” said Dr. Marisa Bezjiam, a ZooMiami veterinarian. “We’ve all seen that Mother Nature has taken a big sigh of relief in the last month or two since we’ve all kind of been hunkering down at home. And the hope is that we can see some positive reflections in nature that can really drive our conservation message and make this world a better place for everyone.”

“I just hope it’s over soon,” said Johnson, the postal worker. “I really hope it’s over soon.”

This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 7:00 AM.