Rep. Mikie Sherrill Honors Wayne Residents, Workers, Volunteers As 2021 Heroes

WAYNE, NJ — The pandemic raged on, but many Wayne residents, employees and volunteers kept pushing. Rep. Mikie Sherrill opened nominations to the public to honor members of New Jersey's 11th Congressional District as 2021 heroes.

"This was an opportunity to remind our everyday heroes — teachers, healthcare providers, first responders, family members, volunteers or others who have impacted another person's life in a positive way — that our community is incredibly grateful for all of their work," Sherrill said.

Here were the nominees affiliated with Wayne:

Besa Adili, kindergarten teacher

Nominated by her father, Tim Adili

“Has been committed during the pandemic as a kindergarten teacher and her family. Is always humble and grateful regardless of the conditions around her. Will keep everyone happy and on the move.”

Brian Schwartz, founder of I Want To Mow Your Lawn

Nominated by fellow volunteer and Little Falls Council Member Albert Kahwaty

“Brian, who lives in Wayne, started I Want To Mow Your Lawn, an organization that mows lawns for seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities free of charge. Through the national press he has received, he is now connecting those in need to volunteers all around the country, including Little Falls, NJ!”

Laura Fencik, registered nurse

Nominated by her sister, Natalie Fencik

“My sister Laura has worked tirelessly as an RN for many years but these past 18 months she has shown her incredible heart for her patients and community. My sister works for Memorial Sloan Kettering in Montvale as a Pain & Palliative Care Nurse. She so diligently helps families navigate how to manage cancer treatment as well as plan for end-of-life. She has a heart of gold and deserves to be recognized for the HERO she is!”

Shipra Shah, physician

Nominated by her spouse, Darius Shah

“Dr. Shah has been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic right from the beginning. She was working as a hospitalist at the Montefiore hospital and she herself contacted Covid in April 2020. This did not deter her resolve. She went right back to work after she recovered. She treated dozens of patients suffering from Covid making sure they were able to get the best care available at the time. She tried to make them as comfortable as she could, arranging for FaceTime with their families since these families could not visit them in person. She has started her own independent practice in Wayne in order to best serve the community. She takes all insurances including Medicaid which a lot of other practices do not. Her philosophy is if I don’t take care of these patients nobody else well. To her the welfare and well-being of her patients is above everything else. She has been doing this while being a full-time mother to two wonderful sons being a parent who is involved in their activities in and outside of school. I believe with all her work that she’s been doing she will one day be recognized. If it helps I would be happy to share specific examples of patient care without divulging any patient information.”

Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad

Nominated by a member of the Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad

“The dedicated members of the WAYNE TOWNSHIP MEMORIAL FIRST AID SQUAD, INC live by the motto: SERVICE TO THE LIVING IN MEMORY OF THE DEAD and act under the motto: I SHALL PASS THROUGH THIS WORLD BUT ONCE. ANY GOOD THEREFORE THAT I CAN DO, OR ANY KINDNESS THAT I CAN SHOW TO ANY HUMAN BEING; LET ME DO IT NOW. LET ME NOT DEFER OR NEGLECT IT. FOR I SHALL NOT PASS THIS WAY AGAIN. The Wayne First Aid Squad answers more than 5,000 calls per year in recent years.”

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