We echo the poignant statements regarding ICU nurse Alex Pretti shared by The Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, National Nurses United, and numerous other unions, groups and individuals speaking out against senseless violence and injustice. We stand with them in solidarity so that our many voices can rise as one in a plea for compassion and empathy at this fraught time for our nation.

As healthcare professionals, we are charged with the most noble of callings: caring for others. It is our duty to honor and revere life, to protect it and to sacrifice for it. The bravery displayed by Alex Pretti is especially stirring because his selfless act to help others embodies what it means to do what we do.

Let it not be in vain. Let it inspire us to care for each other. Let it move us to stand up for our neighbors, our coworkers, our community and our own humanity. Let it help us find the courage to set aside divisions and find within ourselves that quality that defines real strength: compassion.

Let this be a tipping point towards justice and peace. We, each of us as individuals, and all of us as human beings, are responsible for creating a better tomorrow.

Maya Schnell of Bristol
on behalf of
Porter Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Leadership