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Jamaica-born nurse Sandra Lindsay awarded highest US civilian honour

Published:Friday | July 1, 2022 | 7:38 PM
US President Joe Biden recognised Sandra Lindsay as an "Outstanding American by Choice," a US Citizenship and Immigration Services programme that recognises citizens who have been naturalised in the East Room of the White House, Friday, July 2, 2021, in Washington. Lindsay is believed to be the first American to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of a clinical trial. She works as director of nursing for critical care at Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Jamaican-American nurse Sandra Lindsay has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest United States civilian honour. 

Nurse Lindsay is one of 17 recipients for 2022.

Lindsay made history when she became the first person in the United States to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

She said the award shines a spotlight on nurses who work tirelessly and put their lives at risk to serve their country.  

“I am incredibly honoured to be receiving this prestigious award. I consider it an honour not only for myself but for nurses, healthcare workers, women, women of colour and immigrants in general,” she told The Gleaner earlier today. 

The awards will be presented by President Joe Biden at the White House on July 7.

Other recipients include actor Denzel Washington, gymnast Simone Biles former senator Alan Simpson, women soccer player Megan Rapinoe , the late Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc and civil rights activist and lawyer Fred Gray, who represented Rosa Parks, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,and who Martin Luther King called “the chief counsel for the protest movement”. 

The White House announcement of the honourees said “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities and across the world while blazing trails for generations to come.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is presented to people for meritorious contributions to the security or national interest of the United States. It is also awarded to people who promote world peace, for cultural and other significant public/private endeavours.

Honourees are selected by the president or from people recommended to him by the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is distinct from the Medal of Freedom, an antecedent award issued prior to 1963 to honour US civilians' contributions to World War Two.

Lindsay joins the late General Colin Powell as the Jamaicans to have the presidential medal of freedom bestowed on them. General Powell received it twice.

Last year, Lindsay was presented with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services Outstanding American by Choice recognition by President Biden.

Lindsay has more than 26 years of nursing service. She currently works as a critical nurse at Northwell Health Hospital.

She was responsible for leading a team of nurses in some of the hospital's sickest COVID-19 wards.

- Lester Hinds

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