Jun 08, 2020 | Planaltina, Brazil |
The simple actions of an 8-year-old girl in the central Brazilian city of Planaltina won the hearts of healthcare workers and first responders. Challenged by speakers at an online youth camp organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Federal District, little Maria Eduarda decided to honor healthcare workers with greeting cards sent to employees of the area’s Mobile Emergency Care System known as Samu.
Shaped like a heart, the cards read: “Thank you, angels from the health area! May God bless you and your family. Gratitude!” Maria Eduarda says this was the way she found to express appreciation to the first responders, who daily risk their lives to save people.
What Maria Eduarda did not expect is that they would also honor her. The team that was on duty was so moved that they decided to ask permission to go to the girl’s house to thank her. Najara Guimarães, a nursing technician at Samu, explained:
“I was very happy to be on duty and flattered by the letter that Maria Eduarda sent to us from Samu. We are going through a very difficult phase. This pandemic is hurting our emotional level a lot. And to see a child recognizing this was so emotional that it is even difficult to put into words.”
With the sirens on, the professionals arrived at Maria Eduarda’s house, who welcomed them beside her parents.
The little girl remembers that the idea came about through the challenge proposed by Acamp Jovem, in which she participated. “I made the card and sent it to the health professionals, who then paid a visit to my house. They turned on the sirens, came down from the vehicle, thanked me, and talked about the importance of caring for health professionals,” Maria Eduarda explained. “I was happy, excited, and a little bit shy. It was awesome, unforgettable.”
Recognition
Samu’s ambulance driver José Calvalcante, also a nursing technician, said the young girl’s attitude surprised the team. “I, in particular, was moved by little Maria Eduarda, due to the perception she showed about the importance of our service in the current pandemic,” he said.
Roberta Freire, the girl’s mother, said she was also moved by her daughter’s attitude. “I felt emotion and gratitude for Maria Eduarda’s affection for these professionals who deserve all the recognition and support. One of her words that moved me was: ‘I want to thank you for taking care of those who need care: the sick.’”
Nursing technician João Batista was also on duty on the day of the tribute and guarantees that the girl will long be remembered by the Samu team. “In this time of pandemic, people move away and isolate themselves. In the case of Maria Eduarda, she wanted us to be together. Too bad I couldn’t hug her. But the affection and gratitude were sincere,” he said.
But Maria Eduarda didn’t stop with greeting cards. She’s learned how to make protective masks and plans to give them to her neighbors.
This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site
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