Dr. Tom is Dine (the name Navajo people widely prefer to call themselves).
She went on to play basketball and netted a degree in microbiology at Arizona State University.
Were a very matriarchal society, Dr. Tom tells SELF.
Getty / FilippoBacci / Bill Diodato / Morgan Johnson
It always comes back to family and community.
Strong clanship binds us together.
And the land is where we were created.
Its very spiritual for me.
Medicine can be very patriarchal…. Its not a partnership.
I didnt grow up with another nurse or doctor who looked like me or who spoke Navajo.
I wanted to change that.
I had to move out of my family home at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Like many Dine, I lived in a multigenerational home.
My parents, brother, and nieces live there.
My family home was 25 minutes away from work.
Now I have to drive an hour each way.
Before I leave for work, I pack my COVID-19 bag.
I always pack an extra pair of clothes so I can shower and change before I leave the hospital.
8 a.m.
At the hospital we do patient exchange to get the latest information about our patients.
Of course, if someones acute, you go there right away, COVID or not.
12 p.m.
At lunchtime I attempt to eat quickly.
My roommate and I cook for each other and attempt to take care of each other.
We do a lot of veggies, salads, and fruits.
If were too busy, sometimes we just throw back a protein shake or beef jerky between patients.
Sometimes I dont eat all day.
Then I get dressed for COVID-19 patients.
It takes a while.
I feel quicker now that its a routine, but Im constantly asking, Did I touch my mask?
Is my face showing?
Is my hair out?
You have to take care of yourself.
We dont have that many doctors.
You could be the only one there with 15 patients.
We cant risk losing a doctor.
If a provider says theyre not afraid, thats just not true.
We all know someone who has passed in front of us because of a hunger for air.
I know how to keep myself safe.
But theres always room for error.
That fear keeps us on edge.
Were taking the virus seriously, but its hard to control here.
Its the younger people we have to educate more.
However, the majority of people know a relative who has been sick.
I see COVID-19 patients in the afternoon.
A lot of them are related to each other.
Unfortunately, Ive had families where a mother and child both died of coronavirus.
Theres not much I can do for my patients.
I give a shot to ease their pain in some form, but theyre afraid.
Their family cant come see them.
Many families on the Navajo Nationdont have running water, so constant handwashing is challenging.
They have to travel for water, and those water-collection points are places that everyone else has touched.
Hand sanitizer is often sold out at all border towns.
Even when we can find it, the markup is ridiculous.
Were seeing 32 ounces of hand sanitizer selling for $50.
Were also facing a lack of ICU beds.
When I finally find a place to accept the patient, I have to call to arrange a helicopter.
It feels like a constant punch in the gut.
Were the first peoples of this nation.
We gave over water rights, forestry rights, and mining rights, and asked for health care.
Weve never been taken care of.
Indigenous peoples have always been left behind in everything.
We dont have enough PPE for health care workers, and the prices are skyrocketing.
Even once we have the funds, were facing a supply-chain disruption.
We got our first shipment of PPE in the middle of June.
Im also trying to raise money forcloth masksand hand sanitizer for the community to use.
I used to run a lot, but now its hard.
I do some yoga with my roommate.
Really, my only self-care is when my family visits once a week.
We talk outdoors and stand eight feet apart; I wear an N95.
Im very traditional, so burn a lot of sage and do a lot of prayer.
This has taken a toll on me mentally, spiritually, and physically.
I cry once a week at least, but I wouldnt be doing anything else.
This was my calling to be home at this time.
Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
