Five nurses who’ve seen the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic up close were treated to a reprieve this weekend when they received free makeovers at a salon in West Hollywood, California.
“I’m so grateful to the community because nurses rarely take care of themselves,” UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center nurse Dahlia Maldonado told CNN.
The makeovers come as hospitals across much of the US are seeing an influx of Covid-19 patients. Los Angeles has had to revert to precautions of earlier in the pandemic as cases numbers have been on the rise. In many cases, nurses are the first line of defense for sick patients.
In light of their hard work, Marco Pelusi of the Marco Pelusi Hair Studio, said he wanted to use his passion for makeovers to give back to the nursing community.
“They have worked so hard, so diligently, so ferociously, and so I thought, ‘Makeovers on nurses,’” Pelusi said.
“We wanted to make them feel good so when they get in the mirror in the morning, they’ve got some pretty color to look at and they’re energized to go back out on the front lines,” Pelusi said.
The nurses who were gifted new looks had each been through trying circumstances and went above and beyond, according to Simi Singer, a spokesperson for UCLA Health.
In addition to Maldonaldo, nurses Amy Goldberg, Maria Morales, Danielle Roques, and Iris Mayoral also received makeovers.
Maldonado admitted UCLA Santa Monica’s first Covid-19 patient last year. Since then, she has cared for scores of Covid-19 patients, Singer said.
Maldonado is grateful to the community for supporting nurses like her and for the appreciation she is shown in the makeover, but she said what she really wants is for her community to get vaccinated.
“We’re going to be there for you, but we want you to stay healthy and safe for your family, your friends and your community,” she said. “We will make sure you will get you home to your family as much as we can, we just need your help in that too.”