As a nation, we’re going back to life, but not as we know it. It’s time to celebrate the little things we couldn’t wait to return to, as well as adjusting to the new normal. Acting casual in relationships is no longer cool, day uniforms are anything but basic and every outdoor moment is truly great! We’re championing the real people who have supported us in this 5-part series.
After weeks of clapping for the NHS, it’s time for us to really celebrate key workers like Adekemi as they finally find some time out of scrubs. Adekemi is getting back into fashion and a world outside the ward.
Tell us who you are
Hey, my name is Kemi and I’m 26 years old from London.
What are some words you’d use to describe yourself?
Fun, caring, nurturing, and bubbly.
What are you most passionate about in life?
I love to travel. I love to see the world, experience different cultures, different languages, different foods. I think it’s another way to humble myself and remember how lucky I am and that my world is not the only world, the world is a much bigger place.
Tell us about your day job
I’m an A&E nurse. I have been for the past year and a half. It can be hard, intense and frustrating but I feel lucky that I’m able to provide care and comfort in scary and difficult times for people.
What made you want to be a nurse?
I started nursing because I love to help people. I’ve always been quite a nurturing person, so nursing seemed like the perfect fit.
What was it like working through the pandemic?
I didn’t really have time to think about how it was impacting me. I was more concerned about being there to help the people that were sick and to help my colleagues.
What was it like spending so much time in scrubs?
Wearing the protective equipment was hot, uncomfortable, I broke out in spots, communication was nigh on impossible because you couldn’t see people’s mouths but we made it work. We had to.
Did you get a lot of down time?
No, I was literally working constantly but that was my choice. Purely because one, I didn’t want to stay at home because I'd be bored and two because there were people that needed my help.
What positives were you able to draw from your experience?
I realised how amazing the team I worked with were and that when times are tough we stick together. We had people who would donate beauty things like hand creams because we were washing our hands a lot and other people donated scrubs. It was amazing how we were supported by the community outside of the hospital.
Do you think you’d describe yourself differently since working through the pandemic?
Yeah, I think it forced me to mature and grow up. It taught me to be patient, to be less materialistic, to be a bit more deep and open with people because after seeing so many people suffer you realise how short life is.
What is important in life?
I think it’s really important to be happy, to give happiness, to be loved, to be kind and to just be aware of the legacy that you're going to be leaving behind in people's memories.
How important is fashion to you to express your personality outside of the department?
Fashion for me is really, really important. I used to be really shy and self-conscious and I guess I still am sometimes but choosing my outfits helps me to bring out my personality in a creative way. It helps me to show the world who I am.
How do you hope the world will change post pandemic?
I hope people are more considerate of one another and that they go and live their best lives because you only get one.