Wolfson Children’s Hospital nurses rally around one of own

Posted on October 5, 2017 By Editor Articles

Medical staff at Wolfson Children's Hospital rally to raise funds for Anjelique Martinez.

Shortly before Hurricane Irma was scheduled to come through Northeastern Florida, area hospitals and medical centers required critical care and emergency room staff to report for “lock down” to ensure the safety and well-being of their patients.

Anjelique Martinez and her son Jayden

Anjelique Martinez, a certified nursing assistant in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, arrived home after the lock-down was lifted to discover three feet of water in her San Marco apartment.

“My neighbor kept sending me pictures of what was going on while I was at the hospital. Waiting to see the damage and what happened was the hardest part. We were on duty for three days and nights, but I couldn’t get to my apartment until Wednesday because of the flooding,” said Martinez.

“One good thing, my car had been in the parking lot at Wolfson; all of my neighbor’s cars were under water,” she said. “My seven-year-old son was with my parents on the other side of town, so he was safe.”

When Martinez opened her door, water poured out and her apartment had already started to mold. With the help of a neighbor, she managed to salvage a garbage bag of belongings.
Martinez’ short-term future is uncertain.

“FEMA gave us a few days at a hotel. My son has a bit of an idea of what’s happened but he’s only seven, so staying in a hotel seems like a vacation to him. I didn’t let him go in and see all his stuff under water. It’s just all exhausting,” said Martinez.

“I have applied to several apartments but have been turned down because of my income. I have proof of income and payments going back ten years – I’ve never even been late with a payment. But unless I can find a private landlord who would trust enough to rent to me…I don’t really know what’s next. I’m just living in the moment.”

Scott Allen, a co-worker at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, set up a GoFundMe page for Martinez to raise $7,500 for furniture, dishes, clothing and other items ruined by the flood. The GoFundMe page states, “Angelique has impacted so many lives. She has a servant’s heart and a caring attitude.”
But even in her own misfortune, Martinez praises others. Stacey Merritt of Healing Hearts Project has been promoting Martinez and all of the incredible team at Wolfson’s.

Although Martinez and the other nursing staff at Wolfson care for the little heart patients, it is Merritt and the Healing Hearts team who understand the needs of parents, said Martinez.

“Stacey understands what families are going through because she has been there with her daughter Hope. I have a healthy child so I can’t really know,” said Martinez. “She comes to visit, brings food for the families, tells them what to expect, supports and comforts them. We’d be lost without her.”