Everyday Hero was composed as a thank you for a dear friend and colleague Jeff.

The story is that I was on a business trip to Schaumburg, Illinois (close to Chicago) in 2020 just when the Covid pandemic started.

After a few days I suddenly got a soar throat, problem breathing, coughing, and then fever started. I had all the Covid 19 symptoms. So I left the office in the middle of the day and called our health operator and they told me to go stright to a hospital in Chicago.

This was long before vaccines and at a stage where we had just heard about the situation in Italy. At the time there was not yet any Covid cases in Illinois.

My dear colleague Jeff offered to drive me to the hospital that same evening around 10 pm. I arrived at the emergency room and told about my symptoms and they gave me a face mask and ask me to register at the next booth. While I gave my details someone called my name. I told the guy - hey they are calling me. "No way" he said. "You will have to wait for hours". But they did indeed call me. They needed me in an isolation room immediately. I was waiting there for hours while I was texting with Jeff who said he would stay in the waiting room even though I told him he should go home and sleep.

After 6 hours of exams, blood tests and meeting hospital staff in space suits, a doctor came wearing only with a simple mask and he said: "You have been tested positive for Influenza A, you can go back to your hotel. No Covid".

This was at 4 am in the morning after 6 hours in isolation. And Jeff was there driving me back to the hotel. Two days later I was without fever and could go back to Denmark in my scheduled flight.

Same night, same hospital, the first Illinois patient was diagnozed with Covid 19.

I composed this song for Jeff. My Everyday Hero. He knew it could be a health risk to take me to the hospital. But he never hesitated. And I am deeply thankful.