SSUSA International Participant, Bianca Marmolejos, on the COVID-19 Front Lines

April 1, 2020

Bianca Marmolejos and Bill Franciscus

Bianca Marmolejos was introduced to Senior Softball-USA during the inaugural Caribbean Classic in the Dominican Republic in January. Marmolejos was the lone female player on Team USA, which would go on to win the friendly tournament against the Dominicans.

Professionally, Marmolejos has been a therapist for 26 years working in various rehabilitation settings. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Marmolejos has been working every day in a nursing home in New Haven County (Connecticut). That county currently has over 6,700 cases, including 429 deaths.

“Myself and 20 of my co-workers are on the front line everyday working with coronavirus patients,” said Marmolejos. “The most difficult part was watching the virus spread and kill ten patients in one wing and slowly spread to another wing. Then just about the entire floor is positive, that's about 45 patients."

"The facility also experienced an increase in the number of call outs with over 25 staff infected.  One of my co-workers tested positive, but is doing well. He spent one week in isolation, then came back to work. I sit next to him, but I am doing well with no symptoms.”

For reinforcements on the front line, Marmolejos drew on connections through her time on the SSUSA trip to the Dominican Republic. Bill Franciscus, who served as the manager for Team USA, was able to provide some added assistance with a donation of much needed N95 masks.

“I would like to give a special thank you and acknowledgement to Bill for donating a box of N95 masks for myself and staff during the PPE shortage crisis,” added Marmolejos. “I had reached out to him regarding donations for the baseball children in Africa, and I started complaining how our rehabilitation department did not have the proper masks, etc and he so kindly volunteered a box of masks.”