On Monday April 5, our Mr. Pete got his second COVID shot. Definitely a cause for celebration. But something more happened that Monday. Hint is in this notable quotable: At the end of the day when you are tired and you get home, fill your sink with water, put your duck into the water and watch your troubles float away.
Grateful COVID-19 Vaccination Patient Thanks Megasite Team
April 8, 2021
Contact: Jennifer Tornetta, (O) 609-569-7010, (C) 609-335-3446, jennifer.tornetta@atlanticare.org
An Egg Harbor City man expressed his vaccination appreciation as his mother would have.
Peter Gladue received his second COVID-19 vaccination dose at the Atlantic County COVID-19 Vaccination Megasite in Atlantic City Monday, April 5. He brought rubber duckies in medical attire for every vaccinator at the site to recognize them, AtlantiCare, and the entire megasite team.
“Everything was running very smoothly when I got my first vaccine,” says Gladue. “Parking attendants were very nice, they helped me find a close place to park. When people inside the convention center saw that I have a disability, they helped me to get to the elevator. The National Guard was great. They took care of me when I received my second dose with the same professionalism and courtesy.”
“When I was waiting the 15 minutes in the observation area after my first dose, I wondered what my deceased parents would have thought of my experience,” says Gladue. “My father, Jerry Gladue, was a systems manager who made sure everything was running properly. He would appreciate how the megasite runs.”
“When my mother, Skip Gladue, a former publicist and journalist, started having dementia, she wanted everyone who took care of her to know she appreciated them. She’d put a duck on the table for each person who cared for her. She’d say, ‘At the end of the day when you are tired and you get home, fill your sink with water, put your duck into the water and watch your troubles float away.’ ”
‘At the end of the day when you are tired and you get home, fill your sink with water, put your duck into the water and watch your troubles float away.’
“Peter let me know how wonderful his experience was getting vaccinated at the Atlantic City Convention Center,” said Annie Gladue-Latham, who lives in California. “Peter, and our brother Paul Gladue, who was the primary caretaker for our parents, saw what a big difference this small gift made to those who helped care for our mother. So when he told me he’d like to do something similar for the Megasite team, I smiled. Mom would approve for sure.”
“Since I had a stroke in 2012, I’ve been very conscious of my health,” says Peter Gladue. “My father lived to be 92 and my mother lived to be 87. The joke in our family is that we have no excuses. We have to take care of our health. Getting vaccinated is one way I’m doing that.”
He says he looks forward to visiting his family and to socializing with his neighbors in his 55-and-older community.
Minutes after getting his second dose, Peter Gladue played Rare Earth’s “I Just Want to Celebrate,” through his cell phone and danced in place to show the team his appreciation.
“Getting vaccinated is something people should celebrate,” he says. “I’m so grateful for what AtlantiCare and the entire Megasite team are doing.”
—30—
This is one of the songs featured on Mr Pete’s Playlist
Mr Pete’s COVID Playlist FAUCI-OUCHIE
About Mr Pete
A music aficionado, Mr. Pete’s mind and ears have no horizons. He has the uncanny ability to suss out the right song for the right time — a skill that is truly amazing. His lifelong passion for music began with his father’s influence and was kindled during his developmental years. Mr Pete built an extensive collection of record albums —diligently organized and catalogued— by the time he was a junior in high school. His mixed tape skills, honed in college during his stint as music director, have been in continuous use over the years while curating holiday CDs as gifts for friends. Jedemi welcomes his contributions.
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