It was a concert for one in Wisconsin .
Coronavirus has ravaged so many aspects of our daily life. Yet on many nights in Shorewood, you can catch an incredible moment.
It is one friend reaching out to another, not by touch, but through musical notes.
As soon as Julie Roubik heard her friend, 70-year-old Elly M. Pick was fighting the coronavirus, Julie grabbed her viola and told Elly she would be out on her front lawn.
Elly told us, "Oh, I was so full of joy and peace and gratitude. It was so beautiful because while the medical staff can take care of my physical, it was Julie who took care of my heart."
"She needed a pick-me-up, and I could do that, so I said why not?" said Julie Roubik, violist, "It's what I have to give."
Elly says she has been fighting other health issues.
"I've had chronic lymphocytic leukemia for the past nine years, so my immune system is fragile," she said.
She says on March 16, and she received awful news from the health department: She had been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 while at a fundraiser in Shorewood.
Just days later, Elly says she started not to feel well. She said she experienced fever, fatigue, headaches, vomiting, and diarrhea.
"I was tested on March 21, but I didn't get back the results until April 4, so 15 days."
In between that time, Elly was hospitalized for COVID-19 complications. While she's thankful she did not need to go on a ventilator, she describes the night she was in the fight of her life.
"I thought I was going to leave earth," she said. "I sobbed the next morning not out of fear, but just grateful that I made it through the night."
Most of Elly's recovery has been at home, with the help of many people and unique gestures, including Julie's performances.
Elly's doctors say she is now immune to coronavirus, but she wants to set an excellent example to others by wearing a mask in public.
She believes her friend Julie may be setting the most excellent example of all.
"Like Mr. Rogers said, 'When there's a problem - when there's danger, look for the helpers, and Julie is a helper."
"At the end of the day, knowing I made a difference is like the best currency," said Julie.
