Anaheim hospital employee to be honored on Rose Parade special

Maria Guzman watched for years as healthcare workers took care of her sister as she battled with leukemia.

Then again as her young nephew struggled with cancer and chemotherapy.

She was captivated by the way they brought comfort to her loved ones despite the difficult circumstances.

Guzman decided to dedicate herself to working in healthcare to provide that same care to others in need.

“They were there for me and I decided I really want to be a part of this,” Guzman said.

While working on becoming a nurse, Guzman has been employed as an environmental services aide at Kaiser Permanente’s Anaheim Medical Center for the last five years. She’s responsible for keeping rooms sterile to prevent disease transmission.

In this file photo, the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. float, “Up a Creek,” rolls down Orange Grove Avenue as it starts the 5.5-mile long 2016 Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. The Tournament of Roses will present a TV special this year instead of a live event.

(Raul Roa / La Cañada Valley Sun)

Along with other hospital workers, Guzman will be featured in the Rose Parade celebration this year during a television segment for her work at Kaiser Permanente’s Anaheim Medical Center. The Rose Parade special will air at 8 a.m. Jan. 1 on ABC, NBC, KTLA, Univision and more.

Guzman was also the winner of the “Los Nuevos Héroes” campaign, a recent community campaign by Univision and Hyundai to honor heroes in healthcare.

“It’s a blessing,” Guzman said. “I still can’t believe it.”

Guzman said it’s been difficult working short-staffed in the hospital since the beginning of the pandemic and witnessing the suffering of those afflicted with the virus and their families.

“Maybe four weeks ago, I was covering ER, I was cleaning a room, a terminal clean, the doctor said we can only allow two minutes for the family to say goodbye to the patient,” Guzman described. “It was so hard to see that.”

Anaheim Medical Center employee Maria Guzman will be featured in a heroes segment on the Rose Parade TV special.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Guzman was torn after seeing a COVID-positive woman giving birth without the presence of her husband.

“Unfortunately, the mother had to give birth by herself,” Guzman said. “No one was allowed to come inside to visit or to be with her.

“If it was a positive COVID patient back then, not even the daddy will be allowed to be in with her. So I see the dad, you know like, ‘I want to be with my wife, I want to be with my child,’ especially when it was a first child ... Those situations are so hard.”

Working in a hospital during a pandemic has only emboldened Guzman.

She hopes to bring comfort and compassion to patients as they battle with the deadly virus.

“They need us right now,” Guzman said. “And I’m right there for them.”

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