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This is an open letter to the nurses of Newmarket and Aurora from MP Tony Van Bynen during National Nursing Week:
Thank you for the crucial and caring work you do every day.
Recently, the secretive street artist Banksy revealed “The Game Changer,” a painting of a young boy playing with his new superhero. The toy basket beside him reveals the usual characters, Superman and Batman, but the boy chooses to play with his new favourite – a nurse.
I think Bansky has perfectly captured the sentiments of all of us. You are our superheroes. That this artwork has just been revealed is quite fitting, given this is National Nursing Week. It also marks the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. Nightingale was also a superhero. Known as the “Angel of Crimea” she and her team of nurses saved countless British lives during the Crimean War.
To show her appreciation, Queen Victoria presented Nightingale with a brooch and $250,000. She used those sums to build what became the Nightingale Training School for Nurses.
We are in our own battle right now. A different kind for sure, but like those before, this one has placed significant hardships on patients – and those caring for them. You go to work each day, in conditions that pose a real threat to your health, and many of you have chosen to self-isolate from your families to make sure they remain safe.
Your nursing oath speaks about the need to ensure the health and well-being of those in your care. But I believe you go far beyond that oath. For many of us, you are the soul of our health care system, and for our loved ones, you often speak on their behalf. In situations where outcomes are bleak or uncertain, you provide dignity and comfort – not just for your patients, but for their families as well.
I am proud to say my mom was a nurse’s aid, and that she worked in a nursing home. I believe her profession helped shape us into a caring family. You help us build kind and compassionate societies, and today we need that more than ever. On behalf of my family and our community, thank you for all that you do. You truly are our superheroes.
Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament, Newmarket-Aurora
