Written by Brian Neman, Co-Founder & CEO, Sanguine for Biocom LifeLines Magazine
The desire to help during times of crisis is a primal instinct. We are hard-wired to reach out and better our community when affected by tragedy. History has shown us the resiliency of communities as they unite in the aftermath of a tornado or hurricane. Strangers search for survivors, neighbors pick up shovels, and volunteers travel from across the country to help put a community back together. We have an instinctual, protective factor toward our community, fellow countrymen, and humanity in general, to offer support and help during a crisis. A crisis, whether a small event in our neighborhood or a worldwide event such as a pandemic, can leave us feeling vulnerable, isolated, and helpless. Hence our desire to “do something” is an instinctual confrontation to fear and empowers us to grasp the uncontrollable. Assisting during a crisis helpsus cope and gives meaning to our experience.
However, the challenges of a pandemic and the physical isolation associated with it are unique. How does a community unite in the midst of a pandemic without putting undue stress on the frontline workers? Once recovered from COVID-19, how does a person give meaning to their experience, the associated isolation, and being a direct witness to what it was like having
the virus?