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 One video turned into two, two into three, marking the beginning of “Diary of A Happy Doc.” 

The name for the diary comes from the positive energy that she brings to work everyday, which many of her patients and colleagues quickly notice. 

In 2013, while working at the homecare facility that she co-founded with a colleague, she met a woman who had a profound effect on her, and the way she approaches working and interacting with her patients.

 “When patients talk to me, I hear them. I was working with this lady and she was about 93 years old. She was recently diagnosed with metastatic cancer,” Nwoke said.  “I don’t know why I did my white coat the way I did, but I put a smiley face right on top of my name. I was sitting in the physician’s office and one of the nurses came knocking on the door and said,  ‘Hey, miss- so and so wants to talk to you. She couldn’t say your name, but she said, ‘you know that doctor with the big smile?’” 

It was only a brief interaction, but Nwoke managed to put one last smile on the dying woman’s face.  From then on, she was inspired to adopt a special title, Chief Happiness Officer.

“She told me that the smile she saw blessed her once I opened the door that morning”, Nwoke said.It didn’t really matter what I had to tell her, but she was ready to meet Jesus. She said, ‘Babygirl, you just keep smiling and making people happy.’” “From that point on, I said that was my job.”

Georgia saw its first two COVID-19 cases on March 2and Nwoke and her team began preparing for the cases to inevitably come.  A few weeks later,  Nwoke worked a seven night shift.  She started out with four COVID-19 patients and by the end of the week, she had 32. One patient died. This tragedy laid the groundwork for Nwoke’s diary.

“I’m thinking about my first death and I was posting. I started realizing that talking about what I’m going through is actually therapy for me,”  Nwoke said. “I’m not a journalist or into journal writing. I’m more into music and the arts. I’m a creative who loves photography. It was not just therapy for me, but it was so important for my people and my community.”

Little did she know, she was about to encounter another life-changing COVID-19 case that would further inspire her diary, her own positive case, which she contracted during that seven night shift. Coincidentally the week before contracting the disease, she had been discussing holistic medicine with fellow doctors and friends, and sprung into action.

“I had all the classic symptoms that my patients had and I started looking at how to prepare myself and my immune system for what was to come. I didn’t die because my body’s defense mechanism became better than what it was prior to working that shift.”

She quarantined for two weeks, careful to not get her husband and young son sick. From her bed, she continued her “therapy” and developed #TestimonyTuesdays, and  created more colorful and engaging graphic art on Instagram.  

As she helps fight the pandemic in Georgia, creating art has been a source of therapy for Dr. Mary Nwoke.
Photo by Mary Nwoke

She also cut off all COVID-19 related news, which she credits in aiding her recovery.

“I had to sit in quarantine for 14 days and I realized that as all of this is happening on CNN and NBC, and social media…there was a lot of bad news,”she said. “Not only that, but it was important for me to cut that off and to start looking for good news. I knew as a physician that we had discharges and people did get better. We had a lot of deaths, but let me start glorifying the good and showcasing the testimonies.” 

In her videos, she can be found sitting at her desk snacking on pretzels or whatever crunchy snack is nearby, as she talks up close and personal to the camera. She talks facts and statistics, gives advice on how to protect yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, while of course,  sprinkling in much needed humor. On occasion, her videos come with Snapchat characters dancing in the corner, fun text, and filters- all in the name of providing a smile.

  She hopes that the information she is giving as a trusted source will help her family and friends grasp the seriousness of the virus and stay home- despite what elected officials are saying.

“I said to myself that if I want to meet my family, community, and my friends alive and well on the other side of this pandemic, I better start speaking,” she said.“I don’t know who is going to catch on, but I need to start delivering the facts. I need to be on top of studies, be on conference calls, and have up to date information. This is not just for me, it’s beyond me.”

It’s been two full weeks since Georgia has reopened and as of this week, there are 34,002 confirmed cases, and 1,444 deaths. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a  model similar to the one used by the White House, the death toll in Georgia could be high as 5,000 by August.

These numbers are alarming but Nwoke is fully prepared to do whatever is necessary to save the lives of Georgians,video diaries and all. 

“I will always be a physician and patient advocate,” Nwoke said. “I love what I do.”

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Trump said that Georgia has not yet met the requirements to enter “Phase 1” of the White House plan to reopen the country.

“I want him to do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he’s doing,” Trump said.

Kemp is allowing nonessential business such as spas, tattoo shops, hair salons, movie theaters and bowling alleys to reopen this week so long as they follow physical distancing orders.

“I love those people who use all of those things,” Trump said. “I love them, but they can wait just a little bit longer. Because safety has to predominate.”

White House’s guidelines recommends 14 days of declining new infections before moving to the reopening phase Kemp called for. 

“Maybe you wait a little bit longer until you get to a phase 2. So do I agree with him? No, but I respect him and I will let him make his decision,” Trump said. “Would I do that? No … But I’m going to let him make his decision, but I told him, I totally disagree.”

Trump also said that he is planning to continue his tradition of holding a July 4 celebration in Washington, DC’s national mall, like last year.

“As you know, we’re gonna be doing it. Last year was a tremendous success and I would imagine we’ll do it,” he said. “Hopefully, I can use the term ‘forever.’ That was a great success, as you remember.”

Trump said that Robert Redfield, the CDC director, was “totally misquoted” saying that there would be a second wave of coronavirus in the autumn, calling The Washington Post’s headline “totally inaccurate”.

Redfield and Dr. Deborah Birx both noted that there is a potential for a second wave of coronavirus in the fall. Redfield said  that it’s important to prepare for two viruses circulating in the fall, a combination of coronavirus and flu.

But Trump predicted otherwise. 

“If it comes back, though, it won’t be coming back in the form that it was,” he said. “It will be coming back in smaller doses that we can contain.”

Trump also signed an executive order today to ban immigration for 60 days to the United States as the nation’s economy continues to tremble under the coronavirus pandemic. 

He said the ban aims to ensure that U.S. jobs created after the country re-opens go first to American workers. 

The coronavirus outbreak has infected more than 825,300 people in the U.S. and has killed at least 45,075, the highest death toll of any country.

As the epicenter of the crisis, New York State saw a decline of the confirmed cases, but Governor Andrew Cuomo still emphasizes the importance of testing and urges people to stay alarmed.

Cuomo announced today that the state is launching a coronavirus testing and tracing program to build a “tracing army” who will collect data on the spread of coronavirus in the tri-state area.

Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is donating millions of dollars to help finance the program. He will also design and develop the program. 

Cuomo said the state has already started tracing with about 500 tracers. 

“This entire operation has never been done before. It’s an intimidating exercise,” Cuomo said. “But I say so what? It’s what we have to do now.”

Cuomo also said he would not allow political pressure to decide when the state reopens. He said he would not risk New Yorkers’ lives by reopening too quickly.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said.

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 After the lockdown of New York City, I decided to fly home for a week because Georgia suburbs felt safer than a big city during a global pandemic. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

 My 28-year-old brother was infected by Covid-19 shortly after I came home in late March. Faster than a row of dominos, my entire family of four was infected. We all suffered from different, but severe symptoms like pneumonia, fever and difficulty breathing.

I’m 24, my sister is 26 and every day is a challenge for my family.

Cases of coronavirus skyrocketed in Georgia in the past two weeks. The number of deaths were below 50 in late March and has now soared past 430 as of Easter morning.

“Whatever this is, it’s not a joke,” my brother said to me gently as I brought him oatmeal. I have never seen my older brother cry, but I saw tears as he struggled with eating.

After my mother’s fourth visit to the hospital, she cried and said she thinks she will lose her life to the coronavirus. She said it was best to do nothing and keep her at home. She is 49.

Coronavirus hit my brother and mother the hardest. According to the AJC, 61% of cases are patients between 18 and 59. 

I wasn’t going to lose anything else to this deadly virus. I chose to fight for us.

My mother started out strong after she tested positive with only a small cough. Her cough grew louder and more frequent followed by nausea. Hospital trips went from once every few days to two or three times in one day. Each visit came with more bad news like pneumonia and fluid in her lungs.

In four days, I drove to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton, Georgia more than 10 times. My nights consisted of driving to the hospital at 1 am, falling asleep in my car, being woken up at 6 am by a call from a physician and coming back to the hospital twice before nightfall the next day.

I would drive up to four hours in one day. Along with the virus, I had breathing difficulties and strep throat. But I wasn’t sleeping or taking my medicine because I didn’t have the time to. The doctors kept calling for my mom to come in.

 It wasn’t visible, but I felt like a walking corpse. And one day I almost fell asleep behind the wheel.

“You’re not allowed to drive anywhere like this. You don’t need to take me to the hospital. If I’m going to die, I would rather die here surrounded by my children,” my mom said to me after I brought her home late at night.

I heard surrender in her voice, but I was not defeated. I knew this was not the end for our family.

“I can just stay in the parking lot for as long as you stay in the hospital if that makes you go. There are doctors outside 24/7 in case I get sick. I can bring food and my antibiotics, and I’ll get to rest,” I said to my mom.

The best way to take care of myself and be close to my mom was to live near the hospital, in my car. Home didn’t need me. My only purpose there was to take her to and from the hospital. I told her I’d stay only hundreds of feet away from her if she needed me.

She gave up hope so I gave her some of mine.

Living in my small car while tested positive for coronavirus doesn’t sound safe or smart, but it was the only way to get my mom to keep seeing the doctor.

My brain went into survival mode.

My mother thrives off her children’s love. If she sees me fighting for her, it will only push her to get better. The hope my mother lost was regained because her daughter was waiting for her.

This virus stripped away all of the luxuries in my life I thought were necessities like a kitchen and a bed.

 I am only 5’1 so sleeping in a car was not terribly uncomfortable. I had a blanket, fruit, water, and my antibiotics. I had time to rest and think about what I am up against. Instead of feeling bad that I was stuck in a car, I continued to feel hopeful because I could adapt to anything during this time of crisis.

I wasn’t the only one who waited outside for a loved one. I saw a tall man in a car much older than mine.

My time alone in my car made me stronger. I had nobody to talk to so I wasn’t straining my throat. I had no excuse to not take my medicine and my body finally got the rest it needed.

That is how you defeat coronavirus. You take every possible measurement and fight it. You don’t give up and let it take everyone it infects.

When it hurts to breathe, take deep breaths. Holding a deep breath feels like I’m hiding a cookie cutter in my throat.

Coronavirus  has a mind of its own. You just can’t kill it with Tylenol or go to the hospital and get an IV.

I did not let my mother give up hope. I will take every precaution and keep fighting. 

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The post Healthcare Motivates Voters in Georgia appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Beneath a banner reading “Our Great Eight Candidates” Martha Johnson, 73, was working for every vote. Despite heavy rain in the area, she still showed up at the Democratic field office in Brunswick, Georgia to phone bank for Stacey Abrams, the first African American female candidate for governor and other local candidates. She did not break focus from the job at hand.

“I’m making phone calls,” Johnson said. “This is the ground plan, make contact with everybody and encourage early voting, absentee voting and give them deadline dates.”

Johnson’s prior involvement in the campaign efforts were through social media, but she recently made the commitment to phone bank at the field office because she was incensed by the Republican candidate for governor and current Georgia Secretary of State, Brian Kemp’s alleged attempts to suppress Democratic votes.

“I’m really into Stacey,” she said. “For more reasons than one. Mainly because Kemp’s attempt at voter suppression kind of ignited a fight in me. So I’m fighting.”

In recent weeks, national attention focused on the governor’s race in Georgia because a controversial, “exact match” law that passed a year ago has 53,000 voters’ registration status on hold. In what appears to be a major conflict of interest,  Kemp is responsible for state elections and voter registration records as Georgia’s Secretary of State, while he is actively campaigning to be governor.

Abrams has made encouraging voting a priority throughout her career, but has ramped up get out the vote efforts following Kemp’s acknowledgement he is concerned about voter turnout on the democratic side.

Abrams appeared alongside Common and  cicil rights icon Andrew Young to express the importance of voting, especially in this election. Photo by Emma Bolton.

At a recent ‘Souls to the Polls’ rally in Midtown Atlanta, Abrams brought civil rights icon, former UN ambassador, former Atlanta Mayor and former congressman,  Andrew Young, as well as actor and rapper, Common to rally and march to a local polling place, highlighting the importance of voting.

“We have to vote,” Abrams said. “And we know voting works, because if it didn’t work they wouldn’t be working so hard to make sure we couldn’t cast a ballot. In fact, my opponent said this week, he said ‘well look, I’m very concerned if everyone who is eligible to vote cast a ballot she might win.’ Let’s prove him right.”

In South Georgia, the Glynn County Democratic Party Co-Chair, Audrey Gibbons said that getting every potential voter in her area to the polls was crucial to Abrams’ strategy for winning state wide.

“We know we’ve got to turn out the vote for Stacey Abrams to win,” Gibbons said. “And I mean turn out the vote. In District 5 alone in Glynn County we have 14,000 registered voters. That’s enough to turn Glynn County blue.”

Similarly in North Georgia, the Lumpkin County Democratic Party Chair, Ken Akin encouraged volunteers to keep organizing by touting how successful they had already been in increasing voter turnout in the area.

“Every day since we started early voting we have had over a 300% increase over 2014,” he said. “I think we are going to be proud of the results that we are going to see on Election Day. It’s getting purple.”

In Northern Georgia, the Lumpkin County Democratic Party held a get out the vote rally in tandem with the Democratic National Committee and the Georgia Democratic Party. They marched from the town square in Dahlonega to a local polling station to campaign for Stacey Abrams and other local candidates. Photo by Maggie Garred.

Chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party, Dubose Porter attended the rally on Saturday with the Lumpkin County Democratic Party and representatives from the Democratic National Committee in Dahlonega to inform voters about early voting opportunities. It was one of many get out the vote events happening simultaneously across the state.

“We are everywhere, especially today,” Porter said. “There are 80 launch sites for canvassers, so we’re in neighborhoods, just all over the state to remind people what’s at stake this election and now is the time to go vote. There is Saturday voting all over the state today, so we thought we would take today fan out all over the state.”

Porter stressed that the stakes in the election were extremely high. He pointed to Abrams commitment to expanding Medicaid, investing in public education and pushing for diversity as reasons she needed to be elected.

“Are we going to help and lift up everybody or continue to just help a few?” he asked. “That’s what’s at stake. How we change that is, go vote and take somebody with you. And do it today on Saturday and take another crew on Monday and go every day next week ‘til Friday, until we’ve run out of people by November the 6th.”

Although voter purges and exact match laws threaten Abrams’ strategy to win by encouraging historically non-voting populations to vote, Glynn County school board candidate, Regina Johnson, was optimistic that efforts to expand the Democratic voter pool could still turn the state of Georgia blue.

Johnson said Abrams had come to Brunswick’s First African Baptist Church to speak with the community about being civically engaged and educated about issues on the ballot three years prior to running for governor. She saw that long term investment from Abrams as an asset for local candidates and volunteers as they work to get out the vote in 2018 Midterms.

The Democratic Field Office in Glynn County is right in front of First African Baptist Church, where Stacey Abrams spoke to congregants three years ago about the importance of being civically engaged. Photo by Emma Bolton.

“Stacey Abrams came to our church and began a conversation about educating our voters in our community,” Johnson said. “What began three years ago as a conversation is now really in force today.”

Martha Johnson was optimistic that people had responded well to Abrams’ message and had taken the time to vote early after a few hours of making calls to Glynn County constituents.

“This morning, luckily, most have voted,” she said. “So that’s good.”

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This is one of three stops for the day, and one of 17 stops in a three-day bus tour two weeks before election day. Kemp addressed the crowd about the importance of this election.

“We’re in a fight for the future of our state in this election,” Kemp said. “The whole country is watching this race because there’s this so-called ‘blue wave’ out there they think is going to change our Georgia values.”

Kemp and his supporters want to stop “the blue wave” that Democrats hope will sweep the Peach State.

Georgia’s governor’s race has been polarizing, a liberal African American woman, Stacey Abrams vs.a traditional conservative candidate.

Ryan Mohoney, 35, the communications director for the Kemp campaign said he supports Kemp because they focus on the same values: faith, family, honesty, staying true to their roots and being someone that can counted on. But he does not find those values in Kemp’s opponent.  

Abrams is the first African-American to be elected by a major party to run for governor. If elected, she will be the first female, African-American governor in the United States. Abrams’ platform includes expanding Medicaid, supporting women’s rights and healthcare, and creating affordable housing across diverse communities. She has also proposed to expand the Hope Scholarship (a state funded merit-based college scholarship) to create a greater opportunity for more people to get a higher education.

Many of Kemp’s supporters believe her values would be detrimental to traditional America.

“It is the lowering of standards for America across the board,” said Dan Zenda, 49. “For the most part, the focus has been against traditional America and our values from coast to coast.”

Casey Martin, 31, said that she values low taxes and she does not like the expansion of government or Medicaid.

“Stacey Abrams scare me,” Martin said. “And it scares me that someone like that, who believes the way she does, could be in charge of our state.”

In his rally speech, Kemp said that voting for him would send a message to those that support the blue wave.

“Let’s send a message to those folks from California and New York and this so-called blue wave,” said Kemp. “Let’s build a red wall around the great state of Georgia.”

Mark Williams, 48, said he liked Kemp because he is pro-life, pro Second Amendment, pro small government, and an advocate for lower taxes. Although this aligns with the national Republican platform, Williams does not compare Kemp and Trump.

“I like things Trump are doing,” said Williams. “But what Kemp stands for speaks to me more than what Trump does, as far as being conservative and specifically pro-life.”

Other supporters are more interested in one or two specific issues. Kathy Hendricks, 58, has religious reasons to back the pro-life platform.

“I am a southern Baptist,” Hendricks said. “I believe it’s right not to kill babies. I am very worried for the state of Georgia. I know that if it doesn’t stay red, we’re in trouble.”

Lisa Spurlock, 51, is running for mayor of Nahunta. She wants to see the economy grow specifically in rural south Georgia.

“Instead of our economy crumbling, make it build,” Spurlock said. “If we don’t build, we’re not gonna stand. And that’s what I heard from [Kemp] today, to build up everything, not to make them crumble. Everywhere you go, everyone needs something different. We’ve got to start where we can and build up to where we can get to.”

Jimmy Spurlock, 51, agreed with his wife on economic issues and likes where Georgia is already as a red state.  

“We’re on the right, so we’re doing the right thing,” said Spurlock. “I want to see more jobs and I want to see more money in my pocket.”

As Kemp continued in his rally speech, he mentioned healthcare, the Hope Scholarship, school safety, and business expansion. But he came back several times to the theme of  fighting for conservative values against “socialist billionaires” in other states.

In an interview, Kemp said that he recognized how his campaign is part of a bigger narrative about the country’s approval or disapproval of President Trump.

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Hundreds of protestors rallied for Georgia death row inmate, Troy Davis, who is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday. Photo by Eric Zerkel.

Times Square was engulfed in protest Friday, as hundreds assembled to garner support for Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis.

It has been nearly 20 years since his conviction for the 1991 murder of off-duty Savannah, Ga., police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989. If carried out as planned, Davis’ execution would take place next Wednesday, his fourth scheduled execution in four years. The fight to save Davis has gone global with rallies and social media campaigns launched to stop the execution.

But Davis’ conviction has come under recent fire. With a lack of physical evidence, Davis’ conviction rested on the testimony of nine witnesses, seven of whom have recanted or altered their testimony, some even doing so under sworn affidavits.

With so much controversy swirling around the case, protestor Ferix Navarro, 22, of the Bronx, insisted that the protests were needed in order to put political pressure on the key decision makers in the Davis case.

“We’re in the middle of New York City,” Navarro said. “We’re trying to create pressure so that the Georgia board of paroles can understand that this is no joke. They are going to see us here. The entire city is going to see us here. This is Times Square, if you don’t see us here, you won’t see us anywhere.”

Ferix Navarro, 22, of the Bronx, is fighting to save Georgia death row inmate, Troy Davis. Photo by Eric Zerkel

With the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles set to hear the case for possibly the last time on Monday, protestor Muriel Tellinghast of Brooklyn remained hopeful that the protests would have an impact on the board’s decision.

Protestor Muriel Tellinghast, of Brooklyn, wants to stop the execution of Georgia death row inmate, Troy Davis. Photo by Eric Zerkel

“I don’t know what it takes to move the board of pardons and paroles,” Tellinghast said. “We’re asking for them to reach inside of themselves and try to find the basis of American justice. To prove that justice does exist and does prevail in the state of Georgia, and they are willing to at least give a new trial.”

Crowds gathered to observe the large group of protestors as they attempted to increase awareness of Davis’ case.

King Tuck, 27, of Brooklyn, watched the protests from across 7th Avenue. He said the protestors made him more aware of Davis’ case.

“I feel good that people are coming together to save a life,” Tuck said. “Whether a man was wrong or right, I feel life is more important than death. There is a better way to do something to somebody than killing them. You can’t penalize a man for murder by killing him. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

The protests were sponsored by Amnesty International, which has been following the Davis case since it began, and according to CNN, has collected over 663,000 signatures on a petition opposing the death penalty for Davis.

Caesar Taylor, 30, another bystander from Brookyln said after listening to the protests he was skeptical about Davis’ case.

“There is some funky business going on down there,” Taylor said. “Many innocent people are in jail, not everyone in jail is guilty.”

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