Maryville University Thanks St. Luke's Emergency Nurse Practitioner (Ladue News)

As an emergency medicine triage nurse practitioner, Jacob Crust sees each patient that steps foot into St. Luke’s Hospital emergency room. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacob has been quarantining himself in the basement to protect his family. He showers, sleeps and spends his free time away from his wife, Ally, and two sons, ages 6 and 4.

Quarantining himself throughout the coronavirus pandemic was not a light decision. The couple’s younger son, Franklin, has cerebral palsy; his major brain, eye and hip surgeries since birth and his pre-existing medical condition make him a higher risk for serious health complications from COVID-19.

“The hardest part is when our sons want to hug their dad,” Ally Crust says. “Since they can’t be close to him, they make signs and hang them on the basement steps. They ride scooters up and down the driveway while dad does yardwork. It allows them to be around him and talk to him from an appropriate distance.”

Read the full article on why he received a special shout out from his alma mater, Maryville University, in Ladue News: Maryville University Thanks Healthcare Heroes