ER doctor Jason Phillips sees between 100-150 patients every day. As a father of an infant and two other young children, there was no question that he should quarantine while he treated patients with COVID-19. His wife, Emily, worried every time he came home and potentially exposed herself and their children to COVID-19. He needed a place to quarantine. Emily thought, “What better place to quarantine than in an RV?”
Emily made it happen. She wrote a post on her personal Facebook page asking if anyone had an RV that her family could borrow for Jason. Holly Haggard, a friend nearby, had an RV sitting in her driveway in nearby Frisco, Texas. It was free for Jason to use.
Emily’s friend, Julia Brandenburg, wrote to us telling us Emily and Jason’s story. She wrote, “Emily and I have been friends since 2013. I saw what was happening from my RV in Oregon House, California. I am a full-timer in the Thousand Trails system, but I had a secret! While I had just recently purchased a new RV, my previous RV was sitting in storage waiting to be sold. So I shared the offer out here in California.”
After hashing out the idea, Emily and Holly are now paying it forward matching health care providers on the front lines with those willing to donate their RVs to protect these health care workers from exposing their families.
Emily has created a Facebook group, RVs for MDs To Fight the Corona Virus, where they have successfully matched dozens of MDs with RV donors.
The Facebook page, with close to 4,000 members, reads:
“Thank you all for your interest! This group is for Frontline Healthcare Workers in need of an RV and RV Owners willing to lend out an RV Only Please! All others see below!
Thanks!
STEP 1:
-Have an RV/Camper to lend?
Please post a picture, City, State, and make sure to read the pinned group disclaimer.
-Healthcare providers in need of an RV/Camper for temporary living? Please post a comment requesting an RV with some details on why and the City and State you’re in.
STEP 2:
-ADDITIONALLY, All RV Owners AND Healthcare Workers in need, please submit this form and we will get to work on matching you.
Please invite all healthcare workers in need and those with RV connections! We can save thousands from exposure!! Please bear with us as we work to respond to and match everyone!”
The page also says, “If you wish to volunteer to coordinate efforts in your area and/or help our matchmaking leaders, please join the group RVs 4 MDs Volunteer Group instead.”
If you can donate a camper or know a medical professional who needs a camper, please visit the RVs for MDs To Fight the Corona Virus Facebook page.
Thank you, Emily, Holly and Jason, and all other volunteers for all you are doing! And, of course, thank you to all the health care workers fighting this virus on the front lines – you are so appreciated.
##RVT942
A week ago Western RV based in Airdrie, Alberta Canada (10 miles north of Calgary), offered up a sizable portion of their new and used RV fleet (propaned up and ready to use) to house medical professionals as this article mentions.
Boy oh boy do these unselfish folks need AAAAA big shout out for what they’re doing.
How important this is is beyond imagination.
I think more of these lots with used Rv’s sitting waiting to sell should donate the use around the United States for use to our medical personnel to use onsite of the hospital’s. There’s enough just sitting in Yuma Arizona could help the whole state.
Just for clarity, are the RVs expected to be sterilized and returned, or considered donated and gone?
Love the concept and went to the FB site, but there is no Q&A section or recommended borrowers agreement. It seems a contract should still exist to take care of the Rv and list the expectations for returning it. Also, RV owners should check with their insurance carriers too. Would love to participate. They don’t have to return it disinfected, but it should be returned in the condition received.
given the lack of responses, most people except women that didn`t pay for the RV think this is a brainless idea. Most Doctors if not all make a pile of money every year can check in to a hotel and stay for the duration and not ruin or destroy any future use of an Rv. I know My very expensive Rv will not be volunteered. If you feel the need go drop $100,000.00 for one and hand it over to one to use.