“I was about to give up on a patient, and I was making my last call actually… But I was finally able to reach him! He answered – I introduced myself and gave my spiel. He sounded very disinterested, disconnected from life. He even stated he doesn’t really care about himself or his health, as long as no limbs are falling off. He did agree to receive help with connecting him to a PCP and an HIV test kit, and I helped register him for the COVID-19 vaccine. I told him that every day that we get to wake up and open our eyes is a blessing and that we are here for a reason and left it at that. I called him later in the evening to give him the information for his appointment, HIV test kit, and vaccine. He stated that he thought about what I had said earlier and agreed that we were placed on this earth to make it better somehow, especially for his family. He opened up and talked for a little over 30 minutes. He talked about how he was battling with depression because his wife, best friend, and mom died last year within months of each other, and how they were his support system – and now they’re gone. He stated that he was a chef but isn’t working right now because of COVID-19. We talked about sharing his talents on social media and getting himself back out there while he waits to get called back to work. We also talked about different strategies for dealing with his loss on those hard days, like writing in a journal or going for walks. He thanked me for calling him back and listening to what he had to say, and he was very grateful and requested that I please call him back next week. It made my heart happy to hear the change in his voice the second time we spoke and how engaged he was in our conversation. I really hope he follows through with his care.”