We’ve all been through a lot during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but few have worked harder or endured more than our brave health care heroes.
Now that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, a group of frontline nurses from the New York City area is ready to have some fun and spread some love.
Northwell Health Nurse Choir is comprised of 18 nurses who worked throughout the pandemic in various hospitals. Not only are they extraordinary singers, but they also swear the power of music kept them afloat no matter how difficult their jobs became last year.
“Back in March when New York was the epicenter of COVID, we were so scared,” one member said. “One patient became 10, a hundred, a thousand. Nobody knew how many people COVID would kill.”
These nurses saw the worst of the pandemic. They stepped up as family for patients who were fighting for their lives without their own loved ones nearby, and they watched countless people pass away despite their best efforts. Singing gave them an outlet for their pain and allowed them to bond with others who understand.
“It’s just been a very dark, trying time for all of us, but the one thing that has brought us a little bit of light and a little bit of hope is music,” one nurse explained.
The choir took the stage during the 16th season of “America’s Got Talent.” They chose to perform “Lean on Me,” a song that perfectly encapsulates the need to stick together when times are tough.
It didn’t take long before judges Sofia Vergara, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum fell in love with their performance!
When they finished, the four judges rose to their feet for a standing ovation. They all had words of praise and the utmost respect for these talented nurses, but Mandel seemed especially moved.
“One word comes to mind,” he told the group. “It is heroic in every way. What a perfect song. You stand by people you don’t know. You watch horror and I just thought, ‘I want to stand by you.'”
And he did just that! He pressed the coveted Golden Buzzer, which propels an act straight to the finals.
“You are the most inspiring moment I have had in the last year, not only for who you are but for what you do,” he said.
Each judge gets one Golden Buzzer per season, and we think Mandel chose the perfect group for his! We’re so grateful for nurses like these, who have tirelessly helped us through such a difficult season.
Watch the Northwell Health Nurse Choir sing “Lean on Me” in the video below, and don’t forget to share this moving story.
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