I Am No Hero. I Am Not Ready to Die.

As an intensive care nurse in New York, KP Mendoza has been at the epicenter of a pandemic, where healthcare workers have been working around the clock since the epidemic began. As his heartfelt Facebook post went viral, Mendoza became the face of nurses everywhere, though he insisted he only spoke for himself—not his colleagues or his employer. His overwhelming support in media was peppered with homophobic barbs as well as sexist, antigay trolls. Still, Mendoza continues to put himself in harm’s way to protect the people in his community. This is a portion of the post that started it all.

Yesterday, I considered writing a will. I am 24 years old. I am an ICU nurse in New York City.