ICYMI: Long Island Nurse Appears On 'Celebrating America’

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — Long Island nurse Sandra Lindsay delivered a special message of hope during the 'Celebrating America' television special marking the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

Lindsay, a Port Washington resident, is a critical care manager overseeing intensive care patients at Long Island Jewish Hospital Medical Center — one of the hardest-hit hospitals during the height of the pandemic in April. She became a global sensation when she volunteered to be the first person in the United States to receive the vaccine Dec. 14 in a livestream feed from the hospital.

"Continue to focus on the light. It might be dim right now but it will get brighter in the days to come. So I'd encourage everyone not to give up hope, be patient. Healing is coming," Lindsay said in a clip featured on News 12 Long Island.

The special, which was hosted by Tom Hanks, honored frontline workers in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. It featured performances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and the Black Pumas. Former presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr., and Barack Obama also appeared to offer advice to Biden in his next four years.