Refusing to be distracted by her overnight fame in becoming the first person in the United States to take the COVID-19 vaccine, Clarendon-born Jamaican critical care nurse Sandra Lindsay has received her PhD in health sciences at the century-old AT Still University in Arizona.

The event was flavoured even more by the rare sight of her older brother, Garfield Lindsay, a respiratory therapist in Maryland, walking across a makeshift graduation stage moments after Lindsay, also to receive his PhD in health sciences — the two flying the Jamaican flag with unfettered pride.

Sandra and Garfield Lindsay were featured in a recent joint interview on Saint International’s head honcho Deiwght Peters’ hit celebrity show, Rolling With Deiwght Peters, aired Sundays on Television Jamaica (TVJ).

In earlier interviews with US media, Sandra, who already has a master’s degree in nursing, as well as an MBA, said she pursued the doctorate in health sciences, majoring in global health, leadership, and organisational behaviour, in order to focus on solving some of “the bigger, systemic issues that make black and Latino people more susceptible to chronic health conditions”.

The US Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is ensuring Sandra Lindsay’s place in history is cemented by acquiring the empty Pfizer-BioNtech vial from which she received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the US.

The following is the edited text of Deiwght Peters’ interview with the brother and sister duo.

Sandra Lindsey and her older brother, Garfield, are as close as you could get a brother and sister pair. The two grew up with their beloved paternal grandmother in Palmer’s Cross, Clarendon. A teacher by profession, she instilled in them the priceless and life-changing value of education which inspired their passion for learning.

On December 14, 2020, Sandra instantly became a global celebrity when she was officially acknowledged as the first person in the US to be administered with the COVID-19 vaccine. On May 21, 2021, Sandra and Garfield celebrated another outstanding milestone when both earned PhDs, the highest academic level attainable in their respective fields of study.

Deiwght: So happy to have you both, two Jamaicans from Clarendon. I saw the post on each of your Instagram accounts about graduating with PhDs. Tell me what this was all about.

Garfield: Well, the degree is similar to a PhD but it’s a more practical, you know, in its application. It was quite exciting to graduate with Sandra. We’re very close, we’ve travelled together, we went to different schools together, so it was kind of like icing on the cake to graduate with her.

Sandra: Education is in our DNA. Our grandmother was a schoolteacher and very pro-education. When I finished my MBA — it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, MBA — and I swore I would never enter another classroom again. But, by the end of it I felt like there was something more to do, like I wasn’t finished yet and I enrolled in this programme.

My motivation for wanting to do global health is to give back to Jamaica in some form or fashion, and I don’t know what that would look like yet but helping to achieve health and well-being for all. I have a passion also for leadership. I took on an added major in leadership and organisational behaviour because I believe that both kind of work hand in hand to achieve global health and well-being.

As Garfield mentioned, we’re very close, we travel together, we’ve been dreaming together for years so it was just really special to — we weren’t able to walk across a stage [due to COVID- protocol] — walk down a staircase together. I just think my grandparents are smiling in heaven.

Deiwght: How was this plan hatched for you both embarking on the educational journey together and graduating with pomp and circumstance at the same time?

Sandra: I started the programme first and then Garfield followed in my footsteps. I think we just kind of bounced, growing together and using each other as role models. It’s always been that way since we’ve been growing up together.

Garfield: I was still finishing my MBA when she started her PhD. So as soon as I finished, I went ahead and started the programme. She started like a semester or two before I did, and then she structured it in such a way that we both ended at the same time. Yeah, it was just fortunate.

Deiwght: What do you think is the important takeaway from all of this for you, Garfield?

Garfield: I think I want people to understand it’s never too late to chase your dream. We’ve been thinking about this for a while and we worked and worked our way through school. So, if you have a dream just go ahead. It might take longer than some other people’s dream, but it’s your dream so you go for it and do the best you can.

Sandra: I hope that it inspires some young lady or young man out there to know that if I can do it so can you. And, as my brother said, you never give up on your dream. We’ve been dreaming for years and putting in the work. It’s not just a dream but also putting in the work, surrounding yourself with good people along the way, people who can help to pull you up and mentor you. Yeah, and in, turn that you pay it forward and give back that same experience to somebody else.

Deiwght: Garfield, you have an interesting career spanning both the fashion and health industries, you’re a stylist with some cool fashion brands at one point. What was the transition like for you?

Garfield: I was living in New York at the time and I worked in the hospital but also indulged a little with fashion as a stylist. I did a few videos that you’ve probably seen on TV and I did some magazine covers. All that was pretty interesting, it was a good balance. I think I had some fun, while being serious on one job.

Deiwght: Sandra, after being the first in America to take the COVID-19 vaccine, to say the stars rose and the universe aligned for you would be an understatement. So many things started happening; several high-calibre interviews; you were attending these posh events; you were just now The Sandra Lindsey in America. How has it been?

Sandra: Most important for me is lending my voice, appearing on different panels, working on behalf of people, making a difference, addressing vaccine hesitancy, yes, encouraging and educating people about the importance of taking control of their health by getting vaccinated.

I am also quite touched by the fact that my clothing and the vials and all the paraphernalia — all the objects from that historic day on December 14 — will be in the Smithsonian. I’m awaiting that launch; that is huge, that is massive. For long after I’m gone people will go to the Smithsonian and see these objects and be able to learn what happened.

Deiwght: Garfield, what do you think about your sister being the first to take the COVID-19 vaccine in America?

Garfield: Well, it was funny. The night before she actually got the call, we were on the phone as usual and she’s like, ‘I just got the call that they’re gonna be giving me the vaccine.’ I’m like, ‘oh, that’s cool. I can’t wait to get mine.’ Little did we know that she would be the first person in the US. Yeah, first in line to get the vaccine! But I must say she’s handled herself pretty well. I’m very proud of her. She’s stayed humble, which is important.

You know, she’s passionate about what she does and you can tell from her interviews. And, she’s pushing for people to go ahead and get the vaccine. Understandably, there’s some hesitancy, but as she said in many interviews, people just need to do their research, speak to their medical providers and go ahead and make the best decision for themselves.

Deiwght: You mentioned about the vaccine hesitancy, with all the false narratives around the efficacy and the safety of the vaccine, what did you say to her the day after she got the first shot?

Garfield: I just checked in with her and said, ‘Listen, are you okay? Any side effects?’ And she’s like, ‘no, I feel 100 per cent fine.’ So then of course, I wanted to get the same brand because I’m like ,’well, we have the same mother and father, if she’s okay then I should be okay as well.’ She was the guinea pig this time.

Deiwght: What’s next for you, Sandra?

Sandra: I will continue to lend my voice and give of myself to achieve health and well-being globally and that includes in Jamaica, as long as it aligns with my purpose of making a difference. I’ve been in critical care for over 15 years, taking care of the sickest people that come into the hospital, right. I’d like to be on the other side. I’d like to prevent people from coming into the hospital.

— Compiled by Kevin Wainwright and edited by Desmond Allen