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Respiratory therapists from Lakeland travel to hardest-hit areas to fight coronavirus

Imagine going to work and the only people you deal with have COVID-19. That’s what it’s like for two Tampa Bay area traveling respiratory therapists.

LAKELAND, Fla — Marks on their faces from wearing masks are all part of a typical day for John and Erica Ebanks. 

The Lakeland-based respiratory therapists travel the country where the need is the greatest.

“We get to work at 7 p.m. and work until 7:30 a.m. Our job entails anything that’s needed for the patients. We are in the room for them at all times if it has to do with their breathing,” Erica said.  

Since coronavirus hit the U.S., the Ebanks have been stationed in Denver, Miami and now Boston. The hospital they’re at is the first in the country specifically designated for COVID-19 patients.

“This is a respiratory pandemic. We are there from the beginning of the patient’s journey, all the way to the very end,” John said.

With only ICU patients, the job they do is grim and risky. Their priority is making everyone feel as comfortable as possible.

“A lot of times we have 10-plus patients we’re managing who are very sick, all simultaneously,” John said. “We don’t have the time to sit down and let our emotions take over because that could risk someone’s life.”

As the death toll rises, it’s increasingly difficult for the Ebanks to detach. Separated from loved ones, it’s the little things that bring them joy. 

The hotels they stay at offer free stays for frontline workers, and a pilot on an empty flight they took thanked them for their service. The Ebanks say it means a lot.  

“The pilot told us the flights he was taking were starting to wear on him. After speaking with us, he said knowing he was flying two respiratory therapists to Florida made his whole week. The whole staff really showed appreciation, which really made us feel good,” John said.

With no timeline in sight for when the Ebanks will be back in Tampa Bay, their drive to help others continues. The thank-yous bring glimmers of light during this dark time.

“Every night we’re in the hospital a local company in town is bringing some type of food in for the staff, all of the staff,” Erica said. “So, we definitely feel the appreciation and the love.”

The Ebanks were respiratory therapists for more than a decade in Lakeland hospitals before they started traveling. 

Outside of work, they compete in jiu-jitsu even while on the road. John is a black belt. Erica is a brown belt.

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