Most Memorable
This May, I will have been a nurse for 12 years.
In all these years of nursing, there are literally hundreds of patients and families whose names and faces I no longer remember. I have a few moments, though, that stand out. My first patient that died. Patients with the incurables, and inoperable, and minutes left in their lives.
But of all the memorable things in my short nursing career, my most favorite moment was 3 and a half years ago. I had been new to working in pediatrics, and so they gave me the "easy" patients. JD was easy. Waiting on a heart transplant, there was not much to do but wait. She had an amazing family, I adored her mother and always hoped I'd get to take care of them. After what felt like forever of waiting, I got a call one night from the transplant team- "Don't say or do anything to alert mom, but we have a potential match and we need to get these labs done: ...."
So I was being as cool as I possibly could be-- which was not really cool at all. I had tears in my eyes when I went into her room to do all her bedtime routine things. And while I was in her room getting organized with everything, they got The Call.
Being there, witnessing that, was one of the most beautiful moments I've ever experienced.
Its helplessly watching someone dying and then suddenly they are being offered a new chance at life.
Not a guaranteed life. Not an easy life. Actually I think most of them would agree that the life is incredibly difficult and fragile.
But its life.
And hope.
And birthday parties, and late night cuddles. Stories and songs. Dreams and plans.
She was given her life, all because someone else lost theirs. And that family was able to heroically see through their sorrow in a moment to pass on hope. This is the most selfless thing I've ever witnessed.
Being with JD and her family that night... I'll never forget it.
I'll never forget them.
In all these years of nursing, there are literally hundreds of patients and families whose names and faces I no longer remember. I have a few moments, though, that stand out. My first patient that died. Patients with the incurables, and inoperable, and minutes left in their lives.
But of all the memorable things in my short nursing career, my most favorite moment was 3 and a half years ago. I had been new to working in pediatrics, and so they gave me the "easy" patients. JD was easy. Waiting on a heart transplant, there was not much to do but wait. She had an amazing family, I adored her mother and always hoped I'd get to take care of them. After what felt like forever of waiting, I got a call one night from the transplant team- "Don't say or do anything to alert mom, but we have a potential match and we need to get these labs done: ...."
So I was being as cool as I possibly could be-- which was not really cool at all. I had tears in my eyes when I went into her room to do all her bedtime routine things. And while I was in her room getting organized with everything, they got The Call.
Being there, witnessing that, was one of the most beautiful moments I've ever experienced.
Its helplessly watching someone dying and then suddenly they are being offered a new chance at life.
Not a guaranteed life. Not an easy life. Actually I think most of them would agree that the life is incredibly difficult and fragile.
But its life.
And hope.
And birthday parties, and late night cuddles. Stories and songs. Dreams and plans.
She was given her life, all because someone else lost theirs. And that family was able to heroically see through their sorrow in a moment to pass on hope. This is the most selfless thing I've ever witnessed.
Being with JD and her family that night... I'll never forget it.
I'll never forget them.
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