Nursing Director Who Kept Critically-ill Children Free From Coronavirus Hailed As 'Hero'

Bency Mathew, a nursing director at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, is being hailed as a hero after she was able to successfully prevent critically-ill children from getting coronavirus infection. The New York City hospital is an acute care facility for around 124 children.

A Huge Problem

When the COVID-19 crisis arrived in New York City, Nurse Bency Mathew knew she had a huge problem in her hands. As director of nursing services at St. Mary’s, she is in charge of some of the most medically fragile and critically-ill kids in New York City. The hospital is located in Bayside, Queens, reportedly the hardest-hit of all boroughs in the Big Apple. It provides care for a broad spectrum of young patients.

According to 37-year-old Mathew, the hospital immediately assumed a “protective mode” as soon as the outbreak in New York was declared. In an interview with The Post, Mathew said she knew any type of exposure to infectious diseases could be very much detrimental for her young patients. “There is no time where we can miss a beat,” Mathew said.

Screening And Monitoring

Usual visitation ground to a halt and anyone going inside the hospital was thoroughly screened, questioned, and subjected to monitoring. This was to ensure they were not bringing the lethal coronavirus into the premises of the infirmary.

Without visitors, Mathew was left with the tough job of keeping the young patients entertained, all the while maintaining a safe distance between her and the kids. She also made sure her young patients can communicate with their loved ones through phones or the Internet. Because of the delicate nature of their condition, even loved ones were not allowed to visit them in person.

Virtual Visits

The nursing director also ensures her young patients have iPads beside them and can virtually connect with their families any time they want. Mathew also tried to bring back some “normalcy” to the patients’ daily life by having socially-distanced music therapy programs, games, and movie nights.

According to Mathew, she and her team have to be creative. She also arranged virtual birthday parties for young patients. Her staff would be singing “Happy Birthday” and bringing in a cake while she receives images of the event from another section of the hospital. “I really wasn’t part of going up to sing for the child [because] again, exposure as limited as possible onto the unit is my goal,” Mathew said.