Cape Coral nail salon donates gloves to Lee Health

As COVID-19 continues to spread in Southwest Florida, so do acts of kindness.

Lee Health received 15 boxes of gloves from a Cape Coral nail salon and said that donations like that protect nurses who are saving lives.

The health system said supplies are meeting the need for now, but they’ll like need more because doctors say we’re seeing exponential growth in cases.

Ten COVID-19 patients are isolated at Lee Health hospitals, and 79 health care workers are quarantined at home.

“Our frontline providers have dedicated their lives to caring for their neighbors, and today they are faced with helping control the biggest public health threat of many of our lives,” said Larry Antonucci, Lee Health president and CEO.

But people like the owner of Cape Coral’s Nail Art & Company are taking the hardships in their lives to help the helpers.

“It’s hard. It’s been hard. We’ve been shut down for probably a week now,” said Jonathan Nguyen, owner of Nail Art & Company.

The business donated 15 boxes of gloves that are usually used for manicures to Lee Health.

“Protect them, protect us, protect our families, protect the community,” Nguyen said.

“When the guys dropped them off, they wanted no receipt, no thanks, and no recognition,” Antonucci said.

The business does hope that others recognize why they give.

“We’d like to give back to the community as much as we could … without a community, we are nothing,” Nguyen said.

The nail salon has about 15 people out of work right now.

As for the health care workers who are quarantining at home, none of them have tested positive for the virus, and their absence has not disrupted hospital operations.