KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The USNS Comfort is helping hospitals in New York care for patients who don't have COVID-19.
"People just need to know it is truly a ship of comfort, a ship of mercy, and a ship of hope," said retired disaster response nurse Diana Whaley.
The graduate of the University of Tennessee spent three weeks about the USNS Comfort after a 7.0 earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti in 2010.
"One human heart, reaching another human heart and that heart responding back," said Whaley describing one experience aboard that hospital ship when she was making rounds during the night shift.
When she saw one patient reading his Bible and reached out to touch his hand, he smiled and she smiled back. The veteran nurse of more than two dozen disasters says the two formed an instant connection even though neither spoke the same language.
It is a moment Whaley explained, captures the essence of the work aboard that Navy ship.
"It used to be an oil tanker, it used to be a cargo ship and now they can do anything aboard that ship except transplants," explained Whaley.
The USNS Comfort and its 1,000 patient beds sailed into New York Harbor on Monday. It has a crew made up of Navy personnel and volunteer doctors and nurses. It has served as a treatment center during wars and disaster relief around the world.
"It is a cradle full of comfort...no matter where it goes," said Whaley.