Sunday, May 3, was an eventful day off for Jennifer Pasqual, a Roosevelt Drive resident and nurse at the Rhode Island Veterans’ Home.

According to her husband, Thomas, Jennifer and her colleagues have been under a great deal of stress recently, as the numbers of positive Covid-19 cases among the residents and staff has been increasing. “This has really been hitting home,” said Thomas. “She’s been very nervous.”

Adding to her stress was the fact that she was anticipating results of her own test for Covid-19.

“It’s not that she has fear for herself, but she knows that if she gets sick, that is time she will have to spend away from the veterans.”

Thomas, a commercial fisherman, said his wife has been in elder care for about 18 years, beginning as a CNA, and her career has taken her from acute care to the emergency room to the Veterans Home, where she has been for less than a year.

On Sunday, her only day off, Jennifer told her husband she just wanted to hang out in the yard, relax, and have a beer.

Thomas had other plans.

At 3 p.m., a large contingent of vehicles arrived on Roosevelt Drive, in honor of Jennifer, courtesy of Thomas.

“We just wanted to let her know how much we appreciate her and that we are all really proud of her,” he said.

The surprise was a success. “She was crying. It was very emotional. We’ve been staying away from friends and family, just plugging away at work, so it was great to see everyone,” said Thomas.

“Usually she figures things out, but this was a complete surprise.”

It was a fun start to a week that got better with the results of her Covid-19 test: Negative.