Russell Wilson’s mom building ‘portable hospitals’ to join Seahawks QB’s fight vs COVID-19
Russell Wilson has a partner in aiding Seattle during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mom.
Tammy Wilson, an emergency-room nurse throughout Wilson’s time growing up in Richmond, Va., is in Seattle. The Seahawks quarterback’s mother is helping set up health-care facilities to help relieve overburdened existing hospitals in the city. At least two field hospitals have recently been built in Seattle in response to the COVID-19 outbreak that as of Monday had 7,984 cases and 344 deaths in Washington state.
One new hospital is on a turf soccer field in Shoreline, north of downtown Seattle. The other is what U.S. Army soldiers from Fort Carson, Colo., built in impressively short order last week at the CenturyLink Field Events Center adjacent to the Seahawks’ stadium in downtown Seattle.
Wilson implied his mom’s work is going to facilities that will offer more direct testing for COVID-19.
“My mom is in Seattle right now, and she’s helping build, basically, these portable hospitals, in a way, in and around the community in Seattle, so people can check for coronavirus and everything else,” Wilson told host Mike Tirico of NBC Sports’ Lunch Talk Live program.
“There are so many people that are doing that. I think about all of the people I’ve been able to meet, the nurses and the doctors, it’s a real thing. Those people on the front lines, sacrificing their lives potentially, those are true heroes. Those people make the difference and whatever we can do to help is what we’re always thinking about.”
Wilson says this effort is nothing new for his mother, that while he was growing up she was always “in the midst of the fire” working as that nurse in emergency rooms.
“I didn’t grow up with much. I didn’t have much,” Wilson told Tirico. “You know, at one point my family was bankrupt, pretty much. So we couldn’t do much, you know. But people were able to give back to us and serve as much as they could. I think that’s what God put us on this earth for, is to be able to give back, and love, and care.
Wilson and Ciara have pledged to provide one million meals for those that need them through Seattle’s Food LifeLine food bank during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Obviously, Seattle...it’s a worldwide pandemic, but in Seattle alone it’s been heavy,” Wilson told Tirico Monday. “It’s our hometown. It’s a place that we love so much and so dearly, so we really wanted to be able to give back to our community, make a difference there. So we were able to give a million meals, which, you know, I think hopefully had an impact.”
Wilson and his wife have also partnered with Wheels Up, a private-jet company, with the goal to donate 10 million meals to the Feeding America hunger-relief organization. The quarterback’s Why Not You foundation also has extended partnerships with Seattle-area companies for other philanthropic initiatives during the pandemic, including donating more meals through the company Performance Kitchen.
“We can all do what we can,” Wilson said. “Not everybody can do the same thing, but the reality is that we can all do something.”
Meanwhile, Wilson said he’s been committed to keeping Ciara, in particular, safe at home. She is pregnant with the couple’s third child.
“The most important thing is to serve, love, and care,” Wilson told Tirico. “And I think if we can do those things then we have a chance.
“God’s giving me the opportunity to give back. And I want to continue to do that. ...
“Let’s keep believing. Let’s keep inspiring. Let’s keep lifting people up. Let’s keep serving.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 2:06 PM.
