This poem is a lament of a front-line health care worker in a dementia care unit who experienced great moral distress during the Pandemic. When I worked with the frontline care aides and nurses during our COVID-19 Outbreak in December of 2020, I experienced something extraordinary which changed my life. I broke down and had to heal from the trauma of being a leader during a crisis in a dementia care unit. I decided to write about my experience hoping to heal and continue to advocate for better support for dementia care in our healthcare system. The Pandemic illuminated that not only healthcare workers in white are heroes of the fight against an invasive virus, there are also many heroes ----lowest paid healthcare workers like care aides in nursing homes who also saved lives and continue to make a difference.

Cherryll de la Cruz-Cabalo is a registered nurse working as a Quality and Risk Manager for 5 Retirement Homes in the City of Edmonton. Cherryll has been a nurse for 26 years and has practiced in Continuing Care for 23 years. Cherryll is passionate about Senior Care and have held various positions as a Staff Nurse, A Care Manager, Nurse Educator, Clinical Best Practice Specialist, and now a Quality Manager who provides clinical support to nursing staff at Lifestyle Options Retirement Communities. Cherryll is also a Board Member of the Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council, an active member of the Alberta Gerontological Nurses Association, and a major contributor to the Alberta Seniors Communities Housing Association (ASCHA) Best Practice Education Working Group.