Generally, in an ICU, there is one, possibly two very sick patients, but when COVID arrived in NYC, there were so many patients that the workload tripled almost overnight. […]
Safety. A Basic Need – Kristen’s story
Category: Stories
Expendable. Disposable. Sacrificial. – Caitlyn’s Story (pt. 2)
In part two of this story, ER nurse Caitlyn dives deeper into her experience on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon. In this episode Caitlyn, usually unflappable, recounts her breaking point. […]
Expendable. Disposable. Sacrificial. – Caitlyn’s Story (pt. 1)
A seasoned Emergency Room nurse, with experience across the country, Caitlyn moved to Oregon in January right before the virus hit the U.S.. Caitlyn describes what colleagues’ term “PRE-TSD” as the anticipation of the virus arrival accompanied by a sense of imminent danger and anxiety due to the lack of preparation and effective communication. […]
Entering the Warzone – Miriam’s Story
In the inaugural episode of the series, Miriam shares her story of courage, perseverance and vulnerability. […]
Thank You to the 2020 Summer Intern Cohort!
For the past nine weeks, The Quell Foundation has played host to 10 incredible interns from across the country. Hailing from different backgrounds, schools, and areas of studies, it was a joy to watch this coho rt come together (completely virtual we might add), as a small but enormously successful workforce. The Foundation will be […]
Anton’s Story
The biggest and most straightforward thing we can do is tell ourselves, our friends, our families, our human race that not being okay is okay. We don’t expect a lot of things to happen to us. I didn’t expect my father to kill himself. I expected Friday, December 6th, 2019, to be any typical teenager’s day, a day filled with procrastination, a lack of sleep, and good times with friends. And it was. Until I finally got home. […]
Aja’s Story
As the country gathers together to celebrate a virtual Pride Day, the struggles of Black members of the LGBTQ+ community should be brought to light. Combatting cultural stigma to systemic racism, young people like Aja are repaving the way this community is seen and understood. The Quell Foundation is honored to share her story with […]
Alyssa’s Story
“The only person with whom you have to compare yourself is you in the past.” Sigmund Freud Have you ever stopped to reflect on your past self and how far you’ve come? When I think about personal growth, I think about how much my life has changed in the past two years. In 2018, I […]
Amaris’ Story
Amaris Kobolak, Communications Chair of The Quell Foundation Jr. Board of Directors and a student-athlete alumnus at the University of Pennsylvania, was the first speaker to lift her mask for the 2019 Masquerade Ball. She spoke to the pressures of “being perfect” and the pain endured through losing multiple teammates to suicide. […]
A Letter to My Unborn Son
Today, May 7, is National Child Mental Health Awareness Day. Each year, National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and show that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development. For Quell-advocate and volunteer Dan Van Wert, the anticipation of the birth of his upcoming son inspired him to write the letter below in the Fall of 2015. We are proud to share it with you today. […]