Dubai: Ten-year-old Pakistani and Indian American girls have been recognised as ‘coronavirus heroes’ by US President Donald Trump.
Laila Khan, an American of Pakistani origin and Sravya Annappareddy, an Indian-American girl, were honoured by President Trump for donating cookies to doctors, nurses and firefighters and sending personalised greeting cards to healthcare workers fighting Covid-19 pandemic in the US.
Both the girls are 10-year-old and were recognised at a ceremony held in Washington to honour coronavirus heroes. They were part of the Girl Scouts group from Maryland. Sravya is a fourth-grade student at the Hanover Hills Elementary School in Maryland. Her parents are from Andhra Pradesh.
Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts Laila Khan, Lauren Matney, and Sravya of Troop 744 in Elkridge, Maryland, all 10 years old, donated 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to local doctors, nurses, and firefighters. They also wrote 200 personalised cards for health care workers, the report said.
“While we are honoured that our troop was invited to be here today, we know that we are just part of the millions of other children out there that are doing amazing things to support their communities, their friends, and their families. It is a privilege to be here representing all of them,” said Khan, who represented the troop.
US Embassy in Islamabad tweeted: “Congrats to 10-year-old Laila Khan, a Pakistani-American girl scout recognised by President Trump during a ceremony honouring coronavirus heroes! Laila donated 100 boxes of cookies to local medical workers & firefighters.”
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump paid tribute on Friday to several American heroes who are helping on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, including Girl Scouts from Maryland who donated cookies to nurses and firefighters.
“The men and women we honour on May 15 remind us that the bonds that unite us in times of hardship can also raise us to new heights as we reopen and recover and rebuild,” Trump said in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
Amy Ford
Among the honourees was Amy Ford, a nurse from Williamson, West Virginia, who travelled to Brooklyn, New York, to work in a hospital besieged with COVID-19 patients, reported The Washington Post.
“For the past 42 days, she’s been working 12-hour shifts in the intensive care units of Kings County Hospital Centre in Brooklyn,” Trump said. “Amy has been serving the coronavirus patients around the clock, and she once held the hand of an elderly patient all night long, just so the woman would not feel alone.”
Ford spoke of “times of trial and error, and a lot of prayer.” “This experience has been one of the emotionally challenging things I’ve ever been through, but it has made me a better person in the end,” she said. “This virus may have initially caught our great nation off guard, but we will overcome this and we will prevail.”
