The 21st Show

Voices of Healthcare Workers During a Pandemic

 
Health care workers Brittanny and Bryce Budimir live in Kankakee, Illinois, and have three children. This photo was taken before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted them to send their children to live with their grandparents.

Health care workers Brittanny and Bryce Budimir live in Kankakee, Illinois, and have three children. This photo was taken before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted them to send their children to live with their grandparents. Courtesy of Brittanny Budimir

Health care workers face serious risks caring for patients who have COVID-19. 

Among them are Bryce and Brittanny Budimirare a married couple living in Kankakee and working in neighboring Will County. They’re on the front lines of the pandemic as a paramedic and an emergency room nurse.

They’ve also made another sacrifice in this crisis: living apart from their three children. Their story is part of a series, Essential Voices, from Side Effects Public Media.

Illinois Newsroom health care reporter Christine Herman produced their story, and joined us to talk about the plight of health care workers in a pandemic.