AN IRISH paramedic has pleaded with the public to follow the guidelines and stay inside after he made "the ultimate sacrifice" to keep his own family safe.
Ambulance worker Ger O'Dea posted a heart wrenching video on Twitter where he revealed he had made the incredibly difficult decision not to see his children until the coronavirus crisis was over, due to his daughter suffering from a condition which left her extremely vulnerable to infection.
He pleaded with people to support front line workers by following the guidelines issued by the Health Service Executive and Department of Health in order to flatten the curve and help him return to his family as soon as possible.
In a video posted to Twitter, Ger, who has worked with with the National Ambulance Service for 15 years, said:
"I am a dad to two little girls-- Katie who is six and Lily who is eight.
"Lily has an ultra-rare genetic disorder called Pitt Hopkins syndrome, which means that her threshold to infection can be quite low. Not alone just to Covid-19.
"Last night myself and their mom made the very difficult but right decision that they're going to remain home with her until all this has passed.
"That's the ultimate sacrifice for me to make, because there hasn't been a week that has gone by that I haven't held, hugged or kissed them.
"But it's a sacrifice that I have to make to allow me to work alongside my colleagues on the front line during very, very challenging times.
"So now I'm asking you, the public, to please show your support for all frontline workers by following the advice that was given.
"Stay at home. Use proper handwashing technique. Maintain social distancing. And use proper cough and sneeze etiquette.
"By doing so you're going to help keep us safe and well so we can continue to respond to your emergency calls, and hopefully we can all come out the other end of this together.
"Thank you."
Mr O'Dea's video has been viewed almost 40,000 times and has resulted in an outpouring of love from the community, with many acknowledging his "unbearable choice" and thanking him for his service.
You can watch the video below.
I have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect those most important to me so that I can continue to work on the frontline with @AmbulanceNAS .
Please support your frontline workers by following all of the guidelines issued by @HSELive and help flatten the curve for Ireland ! pic.twitter.com/gczEqOgVH1— Ger O Dea (@GerODea_NAS_CEM) March 30, 2020
