FORT WORTH, Texas _ Rebecca Bocardo has been on the front line at Cook Children's Medical Center for more than five years.
She's assigned to a unit for patients who are chronically ill, and she's required to wear personal protective gear. That same unit has also been designated for potential COVID-19 patients awaiting test results.
But Bocardo,54, is not a doctor or a nurse.
As an environmental services worker, she helps fight COVID-19 by keeping the hospital clean and sanitized to prevent the transmission of the virus.
What sets her apart is her kindness, compassion and commitment, her director says _ the reason she is a Star-Telegram Hometown Hero.
"We want to make sure that our staff realizes that they're not just housekeeping, they're also engaging with people on a regular basis. We want our staff to connect with the patients," said Brian G. Bergeron, director of environmental services and facility appearance at Cook Children's. "Rebecca does all of that. Every patient in her unit knows her."
Bergeron nominated Bocardo for recognition in the series because patients always tell him about how she never stops cleaning and how she does it all with a smile on her face. He says that he nominated her because she does her work with a touch of kindness that makes all the difference.
"She's a caregiver," Bergeron said. "Rebecca exemplifies what it means to be not only a housekeeper, but to also be a compassionate front-line employee."
Hometown Heroes is sponsored by Lockheed Martin, which is providing $1,000 each to the 28 people selected by the Star-Telegram to be featured in the weekly series.
Bocardo said she enjoys the work, and that doing more of it when the pandemic hit wasn't a problem for her.
"Cleaning has always been normal for me, but we had to start being more on our toes. We wipe doorknobs, clean bathrooms, pick up trash, mop, dust and wipe everything constantly. I'm just a person that likes to keep busy," Bocardo said. "But I enjoy it."
She even had a side job cleaning homes, which she says she enjoyed until her daughter died a year ago. She had to quit that side gig to take care of her daughter's three children, but she never stopped doing her job at Cook Children's with warmth and tenderness.
"When I could go into the rooms while the patients were there before the virus, I would always talk to them, say good morning and clean their room. If they had a question or they needed blankets or something, I would always help them," Bocardo said.
She says that one time she became close with a patient and his mother who were in and out of the hospital. Not only did she do her job by cleaning the patient's room, but she also went out of her way to connect with the family.
"I got attached to the patient and his mom because this place is like my second home," she said.
Bergeron said Bocardo is always engaged and that he has never received a complaint about her. He said it's her welcoming demeanor that makes her stand out.
"Everybody has a relationship with Rebecca. People always say that she never sits down and that she's always wiping something," Bergeron said. "But we also want to make sure patients feel comfortable. Rebecca always goes above and beyond when it comes to that."
