Not all heroes wear capes. But Mayank Amin, PharmD, chooses to. The pharmacist from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, was actually considering a career change, but having the vaccine available has made him change his mind.
The 36-year-old is the owner of Skippack Pharmacy, which is family run. As they say in their Instagram biography, "We are a locally-owned and loved family pharmacy & CBD dispensary — We do pharmacy differently." It's a nice neighborhood change from bigger pharmacy chains.
Mayank initially shut down his pharmacy for a little bit while thinking about becoming an event planner. But then he realized that there were a lot of elderly residents in his neighborhood who had a lot of questions — and needed guidance — when it came to the COVID-19 vaccination. He knew he had to continue helping.
Mayank talked to Good Morning America and told them more about why he decided to, in a way, make pharmaceuticals an "event" he could plan. "These folks were very lost," he said. "So I said, 'You know what? I'm going to stick up for my community and bring this place back to life. We're going to be a community pharmacy and give people a memorable experience.'"
"When this pandemic first hit last year, I saw the fear in people's faces when they were walking through our doors," he continued. "That's when we went from 9 a.m. to whenever I couldn't stand anymore. I'd be at the pharmacy till 2, 3, 4 o'clock in the morning every single day." And Mayank has more responsibilities than just the pharmacy — he's a proud uncle, and his wife is expecting their own child soon, as well.
His wife is currently in the midst of a quarantine with her parents while Mayank works. She's being taken care of, but these are tough times for couples to be apart from each other. Mayank acknowledges the fact that she's also gone above and beyond when it comes to expectations during this pregnancy.
"She's not been alone during this pregnancy, but typically moms and dads are together and going through everything," he admitted. "She sacrificed that whole aspect to let me be here for our community." But it's possible that he's working on his fun fatherhood skills despite the fact that she's away.
On New Year's Eve, he chose to deliver a medication to a young boy in a fun and humorous way. And that's where the Superman costume came in. He decided to dress up and make the experience more fun. And it seemed to have worked a little too well.
"So I had a [Superman] costume," he explained. "I went out to their house and rang the doorbell. The little boy came to the door and actually thought Superman came to deliver his medications. [The customer's] son, to this day, thinks I'm Superman."
The experience was mutually beneficial, and that's where Mayank got the idea to continue doing deliveries in costume. But this time, it wouldn't just be standard medications — it'd be the vaccinations that everyone's been waiting for. However, it's been challenging, as his pharmacy only got so many to distribute.
"As I was walking with that box of 1,200 vaccines, everyone was just cheering," he said. "It was a celebration outside. And people didn't care how cold it was or about the snow. This was a union of our community and there was one crazy pharmacist that was wearing a costume."
There's something else that sets the Skippack Pharmacy and Mayank Amin apart from others — and it's not just the costume. Through social media, the pharmacy has been completely transparent about the amount of doses they have, and the amount they expect. That's a truly wonderful way to keep the community together in such an uncertain time.
Within time, Mayank realized he had become somewhat of a local celebrity. He mentioned that plenty of people have taken pictures with him in his Superman costume. And, in a way, his fun way of vaccine distribution is a reminder that there are still so many good people in the world, despite how negative this past year has been. The experience has been equally meaningful for the young pharmacist.
One of the most charming interactions that Mayank has had was with an Army veteran. "He said, 'As people that serve this country, we usually bow down and we salute our dignitaries, other veterans, people that serve our country. Today I'm giving you the biggest medal that any veteran can give,'" he explained to Good Morning America. "Then he put his hand up to his forehead and saluted me." Surely, that was a moment he'll never forget.
He has a goal, and that's to make sure everyone in his community is fully vaccinated by the time his first baby arrives in May. And based on President Joe Biden's most recent announcements, it seems as if that may be possible. Having a baby is even more of a wonderful joy knowing the world is a safer place.
This story is incredible and uplifting for multiple reasons. For one, it's nice knowing that there's a pharmacy in the world that literally caters to the community. It seems as if Mayank and his team would do anything to make sure their customers have everything they need.
But it's also sweet to know that there are some souls out there who have no problem putting their community first. Mayank and his wife will have a wonderful story to tell their firstborn about how they were states away from each other during the pregnancy. But seeing the smiles on so many faces in Lansdale is quite worth it.
