COVID-19 Patient Praises Hospital Housekeeper as Good Medicine

Bond between patient and housekeeper becomes part of the cure

June 15, 2020

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Jason Denney is one of many who was diagnosed with COVID-19. Along with his doctors and nurses, he credits a hospital housekeeper with helping him survive.

Denney, who was a patient in an Orlando, Florida hospital, was so ill a Catholic priest visited him to administer last rites, CNN reports. As Denney was not allowed any visitors, he said what he thought would be his final goodbye to his family via FaceTime. However, Rosaura Quinteros, a hospital housekeeper who visited Denney’s room each day, encouraged him not to give up hope. 

As the visits continued,  Denney, who was born in England, and Quinteros, who was born in Guatamala, realized they had more in common than they previously thought. In the beginning, they only conversed in small talk to distract Denney from his pain. As time went on, the conversations grew deeper with topics such as their families and faith.

“I don’t think she realized at the time what she was doing for me,” Denney told CNN in recent interview. “She was saving my life.”

When Denney was released from the hospital, he reached out and thanked her, with hopes to someday meet her family and treat them to dinner.

Denney says Quitneros was his beacon of hope during his time spent in the hospital.

“People don’t realize that in their brief engagements with other people, the words you say matter. And in the situation I was in, they really matter” Denney said.

Latest Articles

Position Your Company as a Long-Term Career Opportunity
June 17, 2026 Candis Levin

Position Your Company as a Long-Term Career Opportunity

June 15, 2026 Zac Haiflich

Rethink the Lifecycle of Resilient Flooring

June 12, 2026 Jeff Cross

Out-Recruiting the Giants: A Cleaning Company’s Edge in the Labor War

Sponsored Articles

3 Ways to Use Less & Save More When Using Wiping Products
June 11, 2026

3 Ways to Use Less & Save More When Using Wiping Products

May 18, 2026 Sponsored by Novonesis

From the Lab to the Reprocessing Floor: How Enzymatic Detergents Get Tested, Chosen, and Trusted

May 18, 2026 Sponsored by Novonesis

Where Cleaning Contracts Are Really Won or Lost

Recent News

Jill Frey

The New Moat in Commercial Cleaning

Chicago’s McCormick Place Achieves ISSA CIMS Sustainability Cleaning Certification

The Sunshine Effect: Leading With Kindness and Accountability