Heroic Pinay nurse grateful for Obama recognition [1]

ABS-CBNnews.com | 02/14/2013 12:42 AM

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MANILA, Philippines – Menchu Sanchez, a Filipina nurse who saved 20 newborn babies in New York during superstorm Sandy, is grateful that she was acknowledged during the State of the Union Address of US President Barack Obama.

Sanchez sat between First Lady Michelle Obama and the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, during Obama's speech.

In an interview on ANC’s "The World Tonight," Sanchez described the First Lady and Biden's wife as "friendly" and "courteous."

At the height of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, she saved 20 newborns at the neo-natal intensive care unit of the New York University Langone Medical Center after the storm left the building without electricity.

"I work four days a week at NYU. [During Sandy], I was there for almost 38 hours,” she said.

Sanchez added she had no idea that the entire first floor of her home in Secaucus, New Jersey and their cars were submerged in floods during the storm.

Sanchez, who was born and raised in Quezon, said she owes her dedication to her job to her Filipino upbringing.

“The Filipino nurses, we care so much, and we are dedicated workers. We worked so hard to be what we are and I think it all comes from what our upbringing is,” she said.

She earned her nursing degree in the Philippines and migrated to the US in the 80s.