share your touching moments

Last week I helped another nurse obtain IV access on a tiny 2 year old with sad blue eyes. She had been abused and removed from her family. She was horrible to access, I must have tried several times before I finally got it. She was such an angel the entire time. And when we were done, she was taped securely and cleaned up, know what she did? Jumped in my arms, wrapped her precious arms around my neck, and snuggled up to my chest. Yeah, I guess they don't all think were evil people with big ouchie needles!

We do multiple heart transplants where I am. I had a ten year old boy post transplant. I came in got report, once he woke up we extubated him and the first words that came out of his mouth were "did I get my heart?". It was so incredible to tell him yes as the tears rolled down my cheeks. I also have a special girl I have been caring for for the last year. She has been through hell but she is still fighting. Everytime she smiles and signs I love you to me it melts my heart. People always ask me how do I do what I do, and I always say how could I not?!? Every patient I care for touches my heart in one way or another, as well as most of their families. I feel lucky that I can touch their lives as well. Bless you all and all that you do.

"C" had been in our unit since birth. She was born a twin, with multiple anomalies, including bladder extropy - her twin was fine. She had been through multiple surgeries, and yet still seemed to fight her way through. She was in DCF custody, and her parents never came to visit. Her grandparents were there day in and day out, never failed to miss a day. This little girl had gotten a trach, an ostomy, and had gone through multiple bouts of sepsis and C. Dif. Miraculously at 15 months of age she was started to get much better. She was transitioned off the Servo-I ventilator to the Pulmonetics. She was learning to sign, and was very playful. Her favorite toy was a disposable stethoscope haha. So this past Christmas Eve I worked overnight into Christmas Day. Our Child Life Specialists bring by a life-size stocking for all patients to open Christmas morning, so we brought hers to her early. 0500 we woke her up in her velvet Christmas dress, and she was the happiest I have ever seen her. She had the biggest, toothiest grin you could ever imagine. Her eyes were looking all over her crib not knowing which toy to look at first. I will never forget that. Two days later, she got sick from a line sepsis, and the docs decided she needed a new CVL. While attempting this, her heart went into arrhythmias and she died. It was the saddest day our unit had in a long time because we were her family. I will never forget her.