Abby Kasaye
Retail Food Services team member
I was a single mother who successfully raised a child, so I worry.
My daughter was married in Hawaii last May. The whole family came, 30 people. My daughter and her husband organized it. We celebrated for a whole week. I am really proud of my daughter. She was born not long after I came to Canada. We talk every day.
There was so much stress in the beginning and she didn’t want me to work when it all started. She called many times a day, making sure I’m safe. We worried about transportation, not about the hospital. She didn’t want to lose me.
If I’m working, I will be safe, I say to her. If I stay home, I will be more stressed out.
I got used to it, the stress. Whatever will happen, will happen. It doesn’t matter where I am; on the street, at work or at home – I’ll be careful. I wear my gloves and my mask. I’m not scared, I believe in God.
Do you know how many doctors and nurses put their lives at risk to help people? I’m coming to help them.
When I go to work, I feel more confident. I feel safe. I feel happy. Do you know how many doctors and nurses put their lives at risk to help people? I’m coming to help them. If the place closed, they’d have to go outside to eat and they don’t have time for that.
At first I wondered, how will we survive? But now I think it will be normal. We wash our hands, sanitize all the time. Sometimes we have people coming from dialysis, and we help them with their tables. I’m more grateful for what I do.
Abebech (Abby) Kasaye is a retail food services team member at St. Michael’s Hospital.
As told to Yuri Markarov. Photos by Yuri Markarov. This interview has been edited and condensed.