TORONTO -- The pandemic has been full of tragic tales, but it has also inspired some to step up in service of their fellow human beings 鈥 such as Junghee Ahn, an Ontario nurse who recently came out of retirement to help administer COVID-19 vaccines.
鈥淚 wanted to help out the community and the people I live with here,鈥 Ahn told 麻豆影视 Channel on Tuesday. 鈥淭hat is my intention.鈥
She was a nurse for 25 years before she retired. But as COVID-19 swept across Canada, she became 鈥渁nxious鈥 to help out in some way.
鈥淚 worked so long in the medical field, and you can feel it, you can understand what they鈥檙e going through, my colleagues, my friends, and even the people,鈥 Ahn said.
鈥淚鈥檓 retired, so I cannot do much about it.鈥
Then, on Christmas Eve, the answer came in a call from a friend.
鈥淪he told me there is a vaccine clinic going on 鈥 are you interested?鈥 Ahn said. 鈥淪he kind of knew that I鈥檓 trying to help [in] whatever way I can.鈥
Now, Ahn is part of a team of nurses delivering vaccines in Kitchener, Ont, at the Grand River Hospital.
She said she is 鈥渟o happy鈥 to help with the vaccine rollout, and that the reaction from those who receive the vaccine is gratifying.
鈥淧eople are generally very happy to get the vaccine,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou feel safe when you get the vaccine. You feel better 鈥 emotionally, also physically, you feel better. You feel like you鈥檙e protected now.鈥
Retired General Rick Hillier, who is heading up Ontario鈥檚 program for vaccine distribution, tweeted about Ahn on Monday, calling her a health-care hero.
鈥淛unghee, retired GRH nurse of 25 yrs, came out of retirement to assist w/#vaccine efforts b/c when the pandemic hit, her immediate reaction was to help in any way she could,鈥 the tweet read.
鈥淓veryday she dons her PPE, embraces learning & continues to be a valued, hard working & humble member of the #vaccine team.鈥
Ahn is far from the first retired nurse to step up and answer the call during the pandemic. In the first wave, retired health-care workers and nurses came back to work in droves. Around 10,000 health-care workers came out of retirement in Quebec alone in March.
And in Nova Scotia, a led to 210 retired nurses signing up in just two weeks.
So when will Ahn be able to go back into retirement? She鈥檚 not sure.
鈥淲e have to see how it goes,鈥 she said of the vaccine rollout. While she can鈥檛 predict the length of the rollout, she expressed confidence in health officials to guide volunteers and nurses like Ahn in helping as best as they can.
鈥淭he scientists know better what we have to do.鈥
