Aside from performances from the likes of Elton John, Mariah Carey and Billie Eilish, the iHeartRadio Living Room Concert for America also offered the real life stories directly first responders, medical professionals and more amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Most notably, Melissa Steiner, an ICU nurse based in Troy, Michigan, shared her heart-wrenching testimonial about her time treating two patients on ventilators.
"I don't know what the f**k just happened for the last 13 hours," Steiner told viewers during the Sunday (March 29) broadcast, admitting that her hospital feels like "a war zone." "Basically, I just spent the last 13 hours treating two critically ill COVID patients on the vent basically by myself. This is my new normal for the next however many months for this virus to die down. I'm already breaking, so for f**k sake people, please take this seriously. This is so bad."
Another nurse shared his er take on the crisis, breaking down his involvement in tending to those individuals who have contracted the coronavirus. "We're seeing some really horrific things, but we're really banding together to do everything we can," Dr. Michael Natter, MD explained. "My co-residents are actual heroes. People in the ER are absolute heroes, the janitors, the nurses, everyone is really pitching in. I just want everyone to stay at home and take this seriously."
Elsewhere in the one-hour TV special, the folks behind organizations like Feeding America spoke about their aid. "Even though we're engulfed by a pandemic, I'd also say we're experiencing an epidemic of compassion," one representative said as clips of volunteers building face masks appeared on-screen. "We're in a ramp of about 450,000 a day."
As for how the authorities are doing amid the crisis, officer Bryan Lystrup emphasized how he and his team don't have the luxury that many others have when it comes to work. "As police officers, my partners and I, we can't work from home. We're still out here upholding the laws, maintaining order and protecting the community," he explained.
Meanwhile, Jessica Slider Whichard of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, revealed that her organization is working hard to make sure that they're doing their part. "We're here on the frontlines making sure that the most vulnerable populations are continuing to get served," she said.
"With the current situation that we're in, it's not going to stop us," FedEx Freight driver Dion Saiz said, before another named Walmart truck driver John Lex shared his optimism to complete the job. "We got plenty of product out there and we got plenty of truck drivers out there. Give us time to get caught up," he added.
You can support two of many charitable organizations that are helping victims and first responders during this difficult time —Feeding America and First Responders Children's Foundation. Every dollar raised from the COVID-19 response fund for Feeding America will be used to get food and funds to local food banks across the US and FOX Entertainment is matching the first $100,000 donated from supporters. Money raised for First Responders Children's Foundation will help support those first responder families who are enduring financial hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak.
And if you missed any of the iHeartRadio Living Room Concert for America, watch the special on iHeartRadio's official YouTube channel until April 1.
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