Social media group encourages Ohioans to assist nurses in need throughout the state

With the COVID-19 pandemic still spreading, there is no doubt that we, as a nation, are relying more and more on the hard work and clinical skills of our brave and selfless nurses to keep us healthy. Through their dedication and compassion, nurses have proven themselves to be a much-needed part of our lives, and the events of the past year have certainly brought that into focus.

But where do nurses turn when they themselves are in need?

In December of 2020, Enon resident Heather Stewart-Rigsbee decided it was time to give something back to those unsung health care professionals who give so much and started the Adopt-a-Nurse group on Facebook.

“I just felt like it was the right time,” says Stewart-Rigsbee. “I wanted to do something to help those who help us.”

Adopt-a-Nurse has been a huge success, and the group currently has more than 1,900 members. Once a nurse joins the group, they can be adopted by a local resident, who then goes to the nurse’s online wish list and chooses which items they want to supply to the adoptee. Items requested by nurses vary, but socks, blankets, snacks and other household items top most nurses’ lists.

“We were just thrilled,” says local nurse Marla Wentz, who signed on to be adopted when her husband tested positive and was hospitalized on Dec. 10. She received a number of items from another nurse who had gone to high school with Wentz’s husband and wanted to help.