LA MESA, Calif. -- Two high school sweethearts are now working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in California.
Andrea Davis and her husband, Jared, met in an 11th grade English class at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego.
"We ended up getting separated by our teacher because we talked too much," said Andrea.
Their ease of conversation continues into married life and their careers, as they share the overnight shift in the intensive care unit at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.
"Having your spouse be in the same profession as you are, they get it," said Andrea. "They get the day-to-day."
Or in this case, the "night after night," attending to patients in need of the most critical care, including those struggling with COVID-19.
Jared recalls one patient, younger than himself, who fought for months before finally making a comeback.
"It was rewarding to see him recover even though it was a very long and slow and tedious process for him," said Jared. "But just to see that, I think that was one of the hardest things to see someone that was younger than you just be affected by it so much."
As for their own health, the couple says Sharp has a strict regimen, including the right personal protective equipment (PPE) to insure safety.
"They do their best to make sure that we're taken care of," said Jared.
And the couple supports each other.
"With COVID, there was so much unknown in the beginning of it, that we had to take all these special precautions," said Andrea. "And we got to share that with each other. 'What are you doing? OK, what are some extra steps we can take to keep us extra safe?'"
While their work requires strict protocols, there's room for sensitivity. The nurses say iPads have been loaned to families so they can visit their loved ones virtually.
And Andrea has helped patients look their best to feel a little better.
"It's one of my things I love to do," she said, "Especially men's 5 o'clock shadow, I love getting rid of that. You know, just basic needs. They're anxious and they're at their most vulnerable state when they are in the intensive care unit."
From 7 at night to 7:30 the next morning, Andrea and Jared Davis are part of the local story of intensive care, of COVID care, in San Diego.
"How rewarding it is," said Andrea, "to help others when they're at their most vulnerable and at their all-time low. It keeps us energized."
And the Davis family is growing. The couple expecting their first child, a baby girl, in February. With that in mind, Andrea is still working in the ICU, but for now, with non-COVID patients.
This story was originally published by Jim Patton at KGTV.
