Gabriela Bren will be just like millions of fans, watching the 2020 NFL Draft tonight from her parents' home in South Jersey. The orthopaedic trauma nurse will, however, sport her hospital scrubs and pom poms when the Eagles make their choice.
Gabriela, a rookie Eagles Cheerleader in 2019, will be part of the Eagles' virtual Inner Circle. Each team selected a group of fans who will be connected to the live television broadcast through a video conference call. The fans will be displayed on television to replicate the on-site crowd reaction that the draft won't have this year because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles announced a $1 million donation this week to provide critical assistance to promote the well-being of essential healthcare workers and their families, while supporting local businesses in the City of Philadelphia. Gabriela was chosen to be a part of the virtual Inner Circle to honor all of the front-line workers on the national stage.
"I think that it's awesome that the fans will be included during the draft to make it as normal as they can make it," Gabriela said. "I'm honored that I've been given this opportunity. My family and I look forward to the draft every year. The fact that we still get to enjoy it, and now we'll be a part of it, is going to be so much fun. I think it's great that the Eagles and the NFL are using this large platform that they have to recognize front-liners because it affects everybody, not just sports fans. This is something that's taking place throughout the whole world."
During the NFL Draft broadcast on television, you will see these fans who were chosen to show their love and passion for the team.
"This draft gives us a welcome distraction and a small taste of the enjoyment the NFL brings at a time when it is much needed. I have been going to Eagles games since 1987 with my dad. For the past seven years, my son has become part of this family tradition. We gladly make the trip up from Northern Virginia to meet my folks for home games every season." – Aalap Sabnis
"Being a part of this draft experience is the same sense of pride I got being at the Eagles Championship parade. This time of year always brings optimism about making another run at a chip and sticking it to Dallas!" – First Class Petty Officer Anthonio Oglesby
"I have been a Philadelphia Eagles season ticket member since 2014. This team is so important to our family as we are not just football fans, but my son, Tyler, is on the autism spectrum and is in love with all things Eagles. Yearly we participate in the Eagles Autism Challenge where we have had the opportunity to meet and connect with other autism parents and Eagles fans. Therefore, to be a part of the 2020 NFL Draft makes me feel like our family is a part of the Philadelphia history and that is so exciting for our us." – Stephanie Stricker
"I've been a fan my entire life and honestly believe this is the best organization in the NFL. The Eagles care a lot about inclusion for their fans, especially fan with autism. My son is on the autism spectrum and we have been fortunate enough to participate in the autism events hosted by the Eagles. We have been participating in the Eagles Autism Challenge for the last two years as well!" – Chante Douglas
"My daughter Katie has been an Eagles fan for six years. We live in Chicago and travel to Philadelphia once a year to see her doctor at Shriners Hospital. She is pumped for the Draft! Go Eagles Go!" – Kurt Gossett
"I have been a season ticket holder since 1992. We were 700-level guys at Veterans Stadium and currently section 225 at Lincoln Financial Field. I love the Draft and all the surprises that come along with it. The Eagles have been a part of my life since I can remember. My grandfather, uncles, and dad were all huge fans. Sunday's were and still are the best day of the week." – Eric Gantz
"The Eagles organization has had our hearts for many years. As our family has grown, so has our love and appreciation for a team. They truly care about their fans. We could not be more honored to be a part of the NFL Draft and cheer on the Philadelphia Eagles as they add to the family." – Nicole Bottino
"Thank you Mr. Lurie and the entire Eagles organization for including fans like me, with autism! I would not be able to come to a game with my family and cheer on the Eagles, if it weren't for all the support available to me at the stadium. Good luck Eagles!" – Cal Radcliffe
"Students in my classes at Lankenau Environmental High School know that my attitude on Mondays depends on the Eagles performance on Sundays. I've had the joys of watching 4th and 26th while stationed in Djibouti Africa in the United States Marine Corps. I am looking forward to the 2020 NFL Draft and am excited to see how we continue to build for the upcoming season. The joy the Eagles bring fans all over is appreciated in these times." – Jonathan Hoffmeier
"I have been an Eagles fan my entire life and a huge fan of the NFL Draft. It is a dream come true to be a part of the process. GO BIRDS!" – Michael McKeen
"We always love watching the NFL Draft! While attending the Draft in 2017 was such an unbelievable experience, we are looking forward to celebrating other great Eagles memories during this years virtual NFL Draft. GO BIRDS!" – Mike and Maureen Bailer
"Mike, Chris, Gina and I live and breathe going to Lincoln Financial Field to see the Eagles every home game. From Miami trips to rainy Monday night games, we bleed green and love our team. We love our fellow fans and all Eagles staff members. Eagles nation is a family! Go Birds!" – Joe Bogdan
"I bleed green and emotionally live and die with each win and loss. I have had season tickets for over 20 years with my cousin Steve.  My all-time favorite players are Reggie White and Brian Dawkins.  I became an Eagles fan because of my Dad. One of my fondest memories is going to a Monday night game with him to watch the Eagles destroy the Falcons. Winning Super Bowl LII was truly awesome, and a dream come true. Now we want another one! So proud and honored to be a representative for Eagles nation, the undisputed best fans in all of sports, for the 2020 NFL Draft. E.A.G.L.E.S! Fly Eagles Fly." – Reggie Dorsey
"Go Birds! Let's get Carson some more weapons in this 2020 draft! Nothing like going to Lincoln Financial Field for an Eagles game, but also have been to games in Carolina and Minneapolis!" – Charlie Bell
"I have followed the Eagles since I can remember. Enjoyed many years in the 700-level with my buddies after college. Friday I am representing Make A Wish Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley, where I will be the incoming Chair. I am really excited to be part of the NFL draft during these uncertain times. Hopefully, the draft provides a break and some fun for Eagles fans everywhere as we enjoy with family." – EJ Dealy
"Braeden and I are beyond humbled to participate in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Eagles Autism Foundation has provided us with countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences, but more importantly they have given us hope. It is no surprise to me that the Philadelphia Eagles included the Eagles Autism Foundation in their draft plans. The Eagles organization and Jeffrey Lurie have put autism on the field, in the end-zone, and everywhere in between." – Kathleen Tarzwell
"The NFL means a great deal to me. When moving to the area I had adopted the Eagles as a team, but the Eagles Autism Challenge really made me bleed green. Honored to be invited to the inner circle. A great team, great organization, and a great community. Go Birds!" – Christian Yang
Gabriela will be with her parents, Abraham and Sonia, along with her boyfriend, Brian Khoury. It was the care that Abraham received as a patient that initially inspired Gabriela to become a nurse.
Abraham was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011 when Gabriela was a 17-year-old junior at Holy Cross High School in Delran, New Jersey. Abraham endured significant health challenges over a three-year span during which the cancer resurfaced and he had a heart attack. Gabriela accompanied her father to his radiation treatments and he always complimented the nursing staff for helping him get through the ordeal. Gabriela decided that she wanted to be that source of comfort for others in their time of need.
"I didn't really understand everything that he was going through and he tried to hide how much he was suffering. Looking back at it, he was trying to make the best out of the situation, trying to stay positive, but we always knew he was hurting a lot more than he was showing," Gabriela said. "He's a fighter. He's the strongest guy I know, hands down."
Gabriela enrolled in nursing school at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. Both of her parents are from Puerto Rico and most of her extended family still lives there, so she did not want to be too far away from home. While Gabriela learned the tricks of the nursing trade, her father made significant changes to his diet, reducing his intake portions and limiting the savory Puerto Rican foods that reminded him of home, but are high in salt and fat. He incorporated more walking into his regimen and lost 60 pounds as a result.
Gabriela graduated from Widener in May 2016 and started as an orthopaedic trauma nurse that fall at a Level 1 trauma hospital in Philadelphia. That means the most severe cases will come to her hospital. The recovery for patients ranges from a few days to over a year.
Still, nearly four years of experience on the job, as well as two years as a nursing assistant while in college, could not prepare her for the COVID-19 pandemic. Gabriela estimates that her hospital received its first case in late March. She was actually quarantined at home for a few days because she came in contact with a patient who unknowingly had coronavirus. Gabriela was fine and never exhibited any symptoms, but was fearful of the potential of bringing it home to her family.
"That's what I was more scared of," she said. "I wasn't even worried about myself."
Unfortunately, Gabriela has co-workers who have contracted COVID-19. When it comes to injuries from a car accident or a violent attack, there is a roadmap, a plan of action. With medicines and vaccines in trial stages, coronavirus is providing new challenges without very few answers at the moment.
"COVID is not a typical virus. It's fast-acting. People can decompensate quickly. At the start of the shift, they can look like they're on the road to recovery then, just all of a sudden, decline rapidly in the blink of an eye. That's what's stressful for me, not knowing how the day is going to go for the patients that I'm caring for," Gabriela said.
"I get to see these patients face-to-face and see how harsh it is on the human body. It's eye-opening. People need to remember that it's not just about them. It's about everybody that they're putting at risk. You might not get sick, but your 75-year-old neighbor could or a 30-year-old cancer patient."
COVID-19 patients are placed all together in one section of the hospital to keep the other patients safe. All of the nurses rotate shifts in the COVID unit to avoid burnout. Gabriela will work three 12-hour shifts in a week. Recently, she's booked them on consecutive days to provide more days off in a row to rest and recharge. She works roughly one out of every four shifts in the COVID unit. Gabriela might be placed in the COVID unit more if not for the continuous flow of trauma patients who require help.
"I don't know if people are taking social distancing as seriously as they should be," Gabriela said. "I drive into work and see people out and about. I'm a very healthy 25-year-old and I can say I've seen people my age in the hospital with this virus not doing well at all. It doesn't just affect the elderly. It's affecting all populations. I think everyone needs to realize that and they need to start taking the necessary precautions. You have to think about everyone in this situation and be selfless."
As a way to relieve stress, Gabriela has turned to typing out her thoughts in a journal, detailing her experiences at the hospital during this pandemic. It's not something she ever envisioned when she started nursing school, but it'll be studied one day in the future by her children and grandchildren.
"Working as a nurse in Philadelphia, I felt as if we were in for a rude awakening," Gabriela wrote in one post. "Were we going to become the next Italy? Was I going to be one of those nurses posting my injured face on social media? Being at work every day had me in a constant state of anxiety. My chest felt tight 24/7. I could not take a deep breath. I was hardly getting any sleep."
The NFL Draft will provide a moment of relief for Gabriela and millions of fans who miss the way that football, along with other sports, unifies our society.
"I'm so happy to have some type of football back in my life. This is going to be so refreshing to have something normal," Gabriela said. "I think it gives people something to look forward to."
Tonight, Gabriela will be alongside her father, Abraham, the man who showed her how to be strong through difficult times. It turns out that the apple didn't fall too far from the tree in the Bren household.
