Life

Co Down woman at centre of New York Irish community's coronavirus aid efforts

New York is the worst-affected region of the United States in the pandemic and Irish Americans, including a south Down native, having been stepping up to help out

Sophie Colgan and fellow Meitheal volunteers Stephen Long and Brian Glynn collect PPE for New York health-care workers
Sophie Colgan and fellow Meitheal volunteers Stephen Long and Brian Glynn collect PPE for New York health-care workers Sophie Colgan and fellow Meitheal volunteers Stephen Long and Brian Glynn collect PPE for New York health-care workers

SINCE early April, the Irish American community in New York – the epicentre of the country's Covid-19 pandemic – has been pulling together to help health-care workers in the city.

As well as organising fundraisers such as an online gig featuring many Irish artists, a specially formed group, Irish America in Support of Health Care Workers, have been sourcing vital PPE equipment for six hospitals across New York.

It's a massive effort; to date more than 60,000 pairs of gloves, 3,000 masks, 10,000 face masks and 1,800 protective suits have been sourced, mainly from the construction industry, and around $55,000 raised in just a few weeks.

And the woman who started the ball rolling and is helping to make such a positive difference to New York's beleaguered health-care community hails from the townland of Lisnacree, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.

Sophie Colgan, programme director at the Ireland-US Council, has lived in New York for six years and felt helpless as she watched the mortality rate from Covid-19 climb steadily and scarily in her adopted home city.

The Co Down woman decided something had to be done to help the struggling medics so talked to her good friend and former chief of homicide in the NYPD, Brian McCabe, who now works in security management across New York's hospitals. Together, the pair came up with the idea of Irish America in Support of Health Care Workers and its project name Meitheal, an Irish-language word meaning 'neighbours helping neighbours'.

“It was devastating to see the number of people getting Covid-19 climbing so quickly in New York and how much PPE health care workers were getting through and having to reuse,” says Sophie.

“Brian is on the front line, helping hospitals source PPE, ensuring its delivery and the health and safety of staff. I wanted to do something to help and knew he'd be the best person to talk to.

“Construction in New York was halted at the end of March with only essential work being allowed. My boyfriend works in construction; he has many friends in the industry. They had PPE which they weren't using and which was desperately needed in the hospitals. So we decided to set up this community based initiative to provide relief to the health care staff via the construction industry.”

Meitheal volunteers, many from the construction industry, collect PPE for New York health-care workers
Meitheal volunteers, many from the construction industry, collect PPE for New York health-care workers Meitheal volunteers, many from the construction industry, collect PPE for New York health-care workers

Word spread around the network of Irish Americans and ex-pats living in New York and donations started to pour in. A beauty salon owner from west Belfast, Maria Reynolds, gathered up all the gloves from her business and sent them to Meitheal and a Cork-born bartender, Caroline Wilkins, sourced around 1,500 pairs of gloves from the city's restaurants and pubs.

Builders and painters and decorators donated gloves and masks too while the group collected countless boxes of hand sanitisers, cleaning materials such as disinfectant sprays, bottled water and sports drink to help keep medics hydrated.

“A few of the Irish centres opened their doors to receive donations,” says Sophie, a former pupil at St Louis, Kilkeel. “We then passed them on to six different hospitals. It was all done properly, while observing social distancing. We had to call the hospital controller in advance and schedule a delivery slot. We also had to be vetted.

“On a few occasions, some of the nurses came out to thank us. They were very emotional. Their stress levels are so high, they don't have enough PPE and some are having to reuse their masks.

“They're all incredibly grateful for our support and we will continue to fund-raise and donate for as long as this situation continues.”

With the state of New York the worst hit – averaging about 6,000 new virus cases and around 400 deaths per day – Sophie says its residents are well aware that a return to normality is a long way off.

“We've over 10,000 dead; that's more than triple the figures for 9/11,” she says. “A funeral director I know from Cork told me they can't cope with the number of bodies.

“And my boyfriend has been called to work for the US army, working on an abandoned hospital to get it ready to serve 500 patients. They had 13 days to do it.

“Our governor Andrew Cuomo and Phil Murphy in New Jersey reacted quickly to the virus and closed things down. We have to wear masks when we're out, we've been advised to work from home and we're only allowed out for essential business, like shopping. Public transport is still going though, so we're not in full lockdown.”

Meitheal volunteers deliver PPE to a New York hospital
Meitheal volunteers deliver PPE to a New York hospital Meitheal volunteers deliver PPE to a New York hospital

A Facebook live gig featuring Irish singers Damien Dempsey and Mundy last week helped raised more money for the initiative and Sophie says she's been overwhelmed by the response of the public. When she first mooted the idea to mobilise the Big Apple's Irish community and to call in a few favours, she had no idea it would take off the way it has and prove so successful.

And now, more than ever, she feels proud to be an Irishwoman, living in New York.

“I think Irish people like to feel part of something; they like that community feeling,” she says. “I've definitely noticed that we've got closer as a community and that working together like this has helped create a bigger and stronger connection.

“I'm always proud to be Irish but this overwhelming response to our appeal has made me more so. We're seeing the best of people right now and I'm so proud to be part of that.”

:: To donate, log on to https://www.gofundme.com/f/irishamerican-meitheal-in-support-of-healthcare