FILAMSPEAK: Health care community proud of Menchu De Luna Sanchez
By Cristina DC PastorHearts swelling with pride, Filipino American health care professionals hailed Menchu De Luna Sanchez who engineered the transfer of 20 at-risk infants to other intensive care units when the power went out during super storm Sandy.
Sanchez, a registered nurse at NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan, rose to the challenge with courage and decisiveness aided by the masterful use of cell phones.
Reports say Sanchez’s act caught the attention of the White House. First Lady Michelle Obama invited her as one of her special guests to the State of the Union where President Obama extolled her decisive action before a joint session of Congress.
“We should follow the example of a New York City nurse named Menchu Sanchez,” he said. “When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, she wasn’t thinking about how her own home was faring. Her mind was on the 20 precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe.”
The Daily News said this New Jersey resident, who has been working as a nurse for more than 25 years, organized a team of nurses and doctors “to carefully carry the babies down eight flights of stairs with only cell phones to light the way.” This happened while her own home in Secaucus was under water.
Industry professionals expressed to The FilAm their admiration for Sanchez.
CARLO ZENAROSA
Critical care nurse
Lawrence Hospital Center
There was never any doubt an experienced nurse educated in the Philippines would have the resourcefulness and initiative of Menchu Sanchez in what could have been a daunting task rarely experienced in the US — a power outage — which is an almost common occurrence in the Philippines. Altruism in adversity is her own personal virtue; it is commendable. She is committed to her role despite the worries of what her own home is going through during the storm.
JONA JANE TAJONERA
Health care consultant
U.S. Medical Support LLC
She’s one great example why Filipinos excel in healthcare — because we care.
I salute her for being strong. She did her job beyond what’s expected. I
know they get training in case of emergency but what happened wasn’t in
the book, it wasn’t taught in any training. She’s selfless, a great
leader with a positive attitude. What an inspiration!
MARISSA TORRES LANGSETH
Adult nurse practitioner
What she did was noble. I salute her for her kindness.
RACHELLE OCAMPO
Health educator
Mount Sinai Medical Center
Menchu Sanchez is a prime example of the type of health care provider that we all look up to. Her compassionate nature is a powerful reminder of why we care for the sick and the underserved. She does it without an agenda or reservations and it is through her story we can be proud both as a Pilipina and a health care provider.
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Filipino nurses all over the world are the best! They are dependable in times of crisis. They give love not only on Valentine’s Day but everyday! Thanks, Cristina DC Pastor for this inspiring article. Mabuhay!