Together Well Storytelling
Together Well is a call to share stories about COVID-19’s impact on our lives. We want to listen, absorb, and be moved to action by narratives of illness and wellness – the good, the bad, and the unexpected. We want to amplify stories to help us collectively make sense of the pandemic’s impact on all members of the community: nurses, social workers, patients, family members, doctors, caregivers, students, chaplains, scholars, educators, activists, and artists. Through stories, we can learn how to better center connection, relationships, and well-being into this new world we will create together.
Together Well is a collaboration between RELATE Lab and the Northwest Narrative Medicine Collaborative.
Together Well
Over the last two years, RELATE Lab’s Together Well project has been documenting COVID’s impact on our lives through stories. On May 24th, 2022 the project team, storytellers, and community partners gathered virtually to look back on the work they’ve accomplished and look forward to co-creating a world of connection, relationships, and well-being.
This video is a compilation of voices from the Together Well story collection.
Alex's Story
"Everyone thinks that doing livestreaming is what you do when you are at a party - just take out your phone and then start livestreaming on Facebook. But it's not the same. . . I want the people to feel like they are here, not just one or two cameras far away."
-Alejandro "Alex" Bautista, Youth Minister, Saint Andrew Catholic Church
Kat’s Story
"When COVID happened it changed everything. It shifted everything, and all of our worlds, and shook the ground underneath us. And I think it woke us up, you know? And so when that happened it kind of opened my eyes and I realized that, you know, I don't have to be a bartender forever."
- Kat Brennan, Owner, Kat's Delivery
Lisa’s Story
"How can I do this so that I can include my culture and introduce it to people who've never had certain flavors or certain textures, but also how can I be a community builder as well. So, I didn't want to go in it to make money. I wanted to go in it with a purpose."
- Lisa Nguyen, Owner, HeyDay Doughnuts
Milwaukie Porchfest 2021
“I think it’s necessary within the community to have spaces like this where people can come and still safely gather and have this experience.”
- Milwaukie Porchfest, Milwaukie, Oregon
Daren’s Story
"Luck doesn't exist. Luck is you being prepared for the opportunities when they come. . . I took everything that music taught me and applied it to art, and then the world exploded."
- Daren Todd, Artist Owner, Art Larger Than Me
Mikayla’s Story
"I have a sense of anxiety and nervousness when it comes to stepping out of my comfort zone, and Noetic was definitely one of those things. But with the help of family and friends and local supporters telling me to keep going and to keep pushing, has definitely been the biggest lesson during the pandemic."
- Mikayla Melson, Founder, Noetic Plants
Leslie’s Story
"Are we crazy? We're opening a store during the pandemic. And everything inside of me, my intuition, everything was like, no, this is a great idea!"
- Leslie Abrams, Founder, Yo Soy Candle
Lisa’s Story
“A poem is different for each person,
like new leaves on the same tree,
greetings in shades of green.”
- Lisa Erdman, Instructional Designer, University of Helsinki, Department of Public Health
Bahareh's Story
“What she needs is freedom
To roam with her pride upon the grass
To breathe deep the fresh air
To lick her wounds clean and nudge her sisters
To hunt for sustenance in the night
To sit still on a boulder in the sun
And linger smiling for the smell”
- Bahareh Keith, Pediatric Hospital Physician
Elaine’s Story
“As you are all aware, on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Governor Kate Brown announced that all public schools in the State of Oregon will be closed until April 28th. In keeping with that announcement we will remain closed through our Passover Spring break and will reopen on April 28th as recommended.” - Email from Nicolai’s kindergarten.
- Elaine Waller Uchison, Research Associate & Multimedia Storyteller
Dan’s Story
“And I, too, am drawn forward--listening to people's stories, challenging myself to engage in the narrative. Beyond witnessing, this is our collaborative story. I rejoice in our fellowship by showing up as my authentic self. Though this can cause unintended dissonance.”
- Dan Sengenberger, Osteopathic Family Physician, Medford, Oregon
Caroline's Story
"When we started online school in the spring I remember thinking, "I don't know how much longer I can do this for." And I still feel that way. And I'm going to keep doing it, you know. I'm gonna do it until the end. Which is I guess what they say when times are hard, right? That you just pull through and you do it. And you're always surprised by it."
- Caroline Koehler, Teacher, Hood River Valley High School
Ben’s Story
"At Oregon State Penitentiary there's 30 foot concrete walls. You can't see trees. You can't see nature at all."
- Joshua Edward Wright shares a story of connection and growth in honor of his friend, Ben Hall
Joshua’s Story
"We're not designed to be like this, isolated from one another. We need connection and community, and that's one thing that the pandemic is taking from us a little bit, or doing its best to."
- Joshua Edward Wright, Co-Founder and Board Member of Liberation Literacy, Co-Creator, Namer and Board Member of All Rise Magazine and Creator and Executive Director of The Exiled Voice Podcast
Holger’s Story
"Why do we do this job? What do we like about our job? You know, what is it that gets us out of bed every day? And just finding that, it can be a challenge for some people. And when they recover it, or discover why they became physicians in the first place, it can be really, I think, powerful for people."
- Holger Link, Professor of Pediatrics, President of Mindful Medicine PDX
Adrian’s Story
“If I’m honest, I was fearful. I was fearful for me health. I was fearful for the health of my family - both my two kids and my wife. But we were all in it together.”
- Adrian Cois, MD
Estela’s Story
“I know firsthand what it’s like to live in two worlds and we have opportunities to close this gap now. COVID-19 has really shed light on the broken, fragmented glass pieces all around us and we must create bridges so we’re all stronger and can thrive no matter our skin color or education level, or even our immigration status.”
- Estela Vasquez Guzman, PhD
Maria’s Story
“During all of this time we were hearing that the government was going to help in our situation but unfortunately, without papers, with being undocumented, we knew we wouldn’t get help.”
- Maria
Jane’s Story
“Hang in there? I have no other choice. My body aches from holding on to the gossamer line that
is the only thing between me and. . . “
- Jane M.
Hope’s Story
“The garden offered solace in spring
flowers opening new life
amidst darkness falling,
but summer came and went
and still darkness fell”
- Hope Sasek
Joshua’s Story
“I kept thinking about people in prison because they can’t escape. They can’t stay in their house. They can’t isolate like we’re all being told to do. I was just left hoping that the friends I had on the inside survived like I did.”
- Joshua Edward Wright
Ryan’s Story
“As a prison doctor, you have to understand, I was not planning on a pandemic. This was an unexpected big responsibility. I knew that I would be needing to give recommendations, public health recommendations, that could affect the entire facility. And so I had several sleepless nights wondering, how are we going to keep this virus out of the facility?”
- Ryan Hutchison, MD
Mark’s Story
“We no longer remember the periods on that clear blue morning when we struggled to make sense of what was happening in front of us. We have set aside the truly unique moments when we didn’t know what would happen next.”
- Mark Kemball, Director of Alumni Relations at OHSU
Joan’s Story
"There's a synergy that happens when people start sharing their personal stories, and we know that there can be. . . there's a lot of strength that comes out of community, and there's a lot of isolation that happens in trauma.”
- Joan Fleishman, PsyD, Co-Founder, Tend Health
Albert’s Story
“It was the calm before the COVID storm, and a tsunami of COVID cases was just starting to crest. It was starting to dawn on me that COVID was no longer a concept that was remote and far away, but rather, rapidly approaching our doors.”
- Albert Chi, MD, Associate Professor Surgery, Division of Trauma Critical Care, OHSU
Sydney’s Story
“‘Hey, I understand you were on a tough rotation or it's been a tough week on service. I don't know if you know, I'm a peer supporter, but if you'd like to talk about it, I'm here.’”
- Sydney Ey, PhD, Associate Director, OHSU Resident and Faculty Wellness Program
Rachel’s Story
“I carefully fold my Halyard mask, straighten the flimsy metal stays, and place it in the back pocket of my bike bag. The edges that were once yellow have turned a sour brown from the dirt on my face, accumulated over many weeks of wear.”
- Rachel Gribby, PT, DPT, OCS OHSU Rehabilitation Services
Anthony’s Story
"I guess what I had been thinking before was that COVID changed everything. And I was seeing the incredible excitement around everything, and I was seeing how we were working together much more collaboratively. But just more recently I realized that everything's actually still the same."
- Anthony Cheng, MD, Family Physician at OHSU South Waterfront
Basilia’s Story
"Early on people were asking, 'Can we have free parking up here? Because I don't really feel safe riding the bus or taking public transportation. And we need to be up here. We are essential personnel.' … And I know often times folks who are on the front lines, they know what needs to be done and often they're ahead of what the institution is willing to do."
- Basilia Basin, RN, OHSU
Adam’s Story
“In fact, I had no idea...the surety of this imagining spilled over into an unknown patter of grace notes, softened by the substance of persistence...and time.”
- Adam Hoverman
Elizabeth’s Story
“in chronic disease the cure is called adapt
rewrite the script, pivot, lose, mourn, carry on”
- Elizabeth Lahti, MD
Whitney’s Story
“We get stuck in the rat race - I'm guilty of it as well - where you have this huge list of to-dos and time isn't made for compassion. We're rushed and there's no time to say, ‘Good morning,’ sometimes. Or, ‘How are you?’ Or, ‘Thank you.’”
- Whitney, ICU Nurse
Emily’s Story
“Maybe the most important thing is not operating at full capacity, but it's making sure your workforce can accommodate that capacity, and making sure that they have that space to allow to flex into a situation that is so emergent. And I feel like we don't make that space. We just expect people to stretch themselves.”
- Emily L, Medical Student
Megan’s Story
“That is wellbeing. It's not just yoga or meditating or eating healthy food. It's this deeper connection and energy of health that connects all of us. And it's the vital force that brings us together in community and brings joy into our days.”
- Megan Furnari, MD, COVID-19 Wellness Task Force Co-Leader, NICU Hospitalist, OHSU
Liza’s Story
“It’s easy to just say, ‘Yeah, healthcare is what happens when you go to the doctor. Healthcare is the medicine that you take… or the x-ray that gets looked at.’ To me those really aren't the most impactful things. It's everything else that goes along with it.”
- Eliza Hutchinson, MD, Family Physician at Country Doctor Community Health Centers & Lead Provider at STEP Clinic, Seattle, WA
Lisa’s Story
“Rainbows and hearts can help. But sometimes we need more.”
- Lisa Erdman
Brian’s Story
“‘Is this a Friday the 13th to remember or what???’ a colleague asked, forking through an oatmeal breakfast, grinning at me from what I only realize now was certainly less than six feet away from me.”
- Brian Park, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor at OHSU Family Medicine, Director of RELATE Lab
Shelby’s Story
“Our clinic director says, ‘Well, we have the CSA tent.’ - like the veggie produce tent that we use during the summer. And I'm like, ‘That's perfect. Let's use that!’”
- Shelby Lee Freed, FNP, Faculty Instructor at OHSU Family Medicine Richmond Clinic