A doctor at a hospital in Orlando, Florida, has shared a heartbreaking selfie he took with his wife as he said goodbye to her before she was moved to a coronavirus isolation ward.
The photo shows Dr Sam Atallah standing in the foreground dressed in medical scrubs and wearing a protective mask on his face. His wife, and mother of the couple’s four children, Delta flight attendant Michelle Atallah, can be seen lying in the foetal position on a stretcher behind him.
According to the post, Dr Atallah and Michelle were set to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary just a few days after she was diagnosed.
As per the Mirror, the doctor is described as one of the most well-known colorectal surgeons in the world. He posted the selfie to Twitter, where it has so far garnered more than 40,000 retweets.
He captioned the post:
“My wife: on a stretcher just before being transferred to the #COVID19 isolation ward.
“Me: holding back tears.
“Get well soon so we can celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary Friday.
“Prayers.”
Dr Atallah’s post comes amidst a surge in coronavirus cases across the U.S. Despite President Trump’s false optimism last week, the country now has upwards of 165,000 confirmed cases – the most in the world.
Meanwhile, at least 3,170 Americans have died from COVID-19, giving the country the fourth highest death toll in the world behind Italy, Spain and China.
In times like these we must all pull together and show love for one another. Coronavirus has become a threat to our way of life, but now is the time to grow closer, not further apart.
Share this article if you want to wish Dr Atallah’s wife a speedy recovery, and to send your prayers to the people all over the world who have been affected by this terrible virus.
