Fredericton — Each year the Order of New Brunswick is given out to “recognize individuals who have demonstrated excellence and achievement and who have made outstanding contributions to the social, cultural or economic well-being of New Brunswick and its residents.”
Tuesday in Fredericton, an impromptu Order of New Brunswick was awarded to Susan Francis McDermott just for being so goddamn sweet.
McDermott, a humble nurse from the Perth region, has recently gained a cult following in the Government of New Brunswick’s daily Covid-19 update Facebook posts. Her comments proclaim sentiments like: “New Brunswick WILL flatten the curve again,” “Stay safe everyone,” and “So great to see 8 new recoveries today!”
You can often find her digging deep into the data to find the slightest shift in positive news to report to the comment readers.
“She has a gift and manages to read these ominous daily updates and express hope and assurance that things will get better,” explained Carly Louis, an avid McDermott follower. “A stark contrast to the rest of the comments section accusing the government of fear-mongering and asking why their grandma in Bartholomew hasn’t gotten vaccinated yet. I log in every day to see her comments.”
Darren Blackrock, a self-proclaimed devil’s advocate, thinks the award should go to someone more deserving.
“Are you kidding me? They gave her the Order of New Brunswick? We’re in the RED phase again, we have the most active cases we’ve ever had. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies like Susan sees it. Toxic positivity is real and needs to be addressed.” In response to Darren, Susan simply stated, “I’ll choose to stay positive, stay safe.”
“The award is nothing less than deserved,” said Lieutenant-Governor Brenda Murphy. Murphy awarded the Order to McDermott before the nominations were even closed for the year.
“Susan’s comments are a light in the many days full of darkness we have endured over the course of the pandemic. If we had a day with 1,000 new cases she’d still be able to point out something positive like, ‘Hey — at least we have three seconds more daylight!’ She is a truly gifted optimist who deserves praise and a nod for trying to make the lives in New Brunswick a little more bright.”
It isn’t susan Francis McDermott, it is Suzette Francis McDonald, and she isn’t a nurse.