Angels Among Us

Over the past 25 years of my nursing career, this story has touched my heart the most. It is true. The names have been changed to protect identities:

Oh I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live
To teach us how to give
To guide us with a light of love
Angels Among Us Don Goodman/Becky Hobbs



William was a three year old boy whose parents and sister was killed in the house fire which brought him to the hospital. The firemen were able to rescue William before he became seriously burned; but for fear of swelling in his airway, he was placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for close observation.

The physicians could not explain why William was not talking or walking. He would not respond to human contact; not even to the traumatic pokes and prodes of needles. When he slept, it was always in a fetal position. This; despite the fact that his neurological tests were all normal. So he was tagged as "developmentally delayed". Speculation was made that perhaps he was abused or neglected at home.

I worked 3PM to 11PM in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the large teaching hospital where William had been taken. Melissa, our unit secretary, developed a special liking to William. She would come in to work early and read to little William. Even on her days off from work, Melissa would take the time to visit William. Yet each time, William failed to show any response to Melissa's gestures. Before she would leave him, she would always hug him and say; "I love you. Good night."

Then, one evening Melissa was unable to come in. She called and said she had to get some things taken care of and would I please take a moment to read to William. When things quieted down, I went into William's room and began reading. As I was reading to him, he looked over at me and asked; "Where's Melissa?"

"I'll see if I can find her for you."; I responded in astonishment. I knew Melissa would want to know about William's sudden progress.

Melissa cancelled her plans for the evening and came in to read to William. In fact; she spent the remainder of the evening with him and stayed until he was sound asleep. There was not one single nurse with a dry eye as William cuddled to Melissa and listened to one story after another.

William continued to progress and soon afterward was discharged from the hospital; not to social services, but to the unit secretary who understood that this was a grieving child who needed a little time and lots of love to recover from his trauma.

Over the past 25 years of my nursing career, this story has touched my heart the most. It is true. The names have been changed to protect identities:

Oh I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live
To teach us how to give
To guide us with a light of love
Angels Among Us Don Goodman/Becky Hobbs



William was a three year old boy whose parents and sister was killed in the house fire which brought him to the hospital. The firemen were able to rescue William before he became seriously burned; but for fear of swelling in his airway, he was placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for close observation.

The physicians could not explain why William was not talking or walking. He would not respond to human contact; not even to the traumatic pokes and prodes of needles. When he slept, it was always in a fetal position. This; despite the fact that his neurological tests were all normal. So he was tagged as "developmentally delayed". Speculation was made that perhaps he was abused or neglected at home.

I worked 3PM to 11PM in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the large teaching hospital where William had been taken. Melissa, our unit secretary, developed a special liking to William. She would come in to work early and read to little William. Even on her days off from work, Melissa would take the time to visit William. Yet each time, William failed to show any response to Melissa's gestures. Before she would leave him, she would always hug him and say; "I love you. Good night."

Then, one evening Melissa was unable to come in. She called and said she had to get some things taken care of and would I please take a moment to read to William. When things quieted down, I went into William's room and began reading. As I was reading to him, he looked over at me and asked; "Where's Melissa?"

"I'll see if I can find her for you."; I responded in astonishment. I knew Melissa would want to know about William's sudden progress.

Melissa cancelled her plans for the evening and came in to read to William. In fact; she spent the remainder of the evening with him and stayed until he was sound asleep. There was not one single nurse with a dry eye as William cuddled to Melissa and listened to one story after another.

William continued to progress and soon afterward was discharged from the hospital; not to social services, but to the unit secretary who understood that this was a grieving child who needed a little time and lots of love to recover from his trauma.

Over the past 25 years of my nursing career, this story has touched my heart the most. It is true. The names have been changed to protect identities:

Oh I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live
To teach us how to give
To guide us with a light of love
Angels Among Us Don Goodman/Becky Hobbs



William was a three year old boy whose parents and sister was killed in the house fire which brought him to the hospital. The firemen were able to rescue William before he became seriously burned; but for fear of swelling in his airway, he was placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for close observation.

The physicians could not explain why William was not talking or walking. He would not respond to human contact; not even to the traumatic pokes and prodes of needles. When he slept, it was always in a fetal position. This; despite the fact that his neurological tests were all normal. So he was tagged as "developmentally delayed". Speculation was made that perhaps he was abused or neglected at home.

I worked 3PM to 11PM in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the large teaching hospital where William had been taken. Melissa, our unit secretary, developed a special liking to William. She would come in to work early and read to little William. Even on her days off from work, Melissa would take the time to visit William. Yet each time, William failed to show any response to Melissa's gestures. Before she would leave him, she would always hug him and say; "I love you. Good night."

Then, one evening Melissa was unable to come in. She called and said she had to get some things taken care of and would I please take a moment to read to William. When things quieted down, I went into William's room and began reading. As I was reading to him, he looked over at me and asked; "Where's Melissa?"

"I'll see if I can find her for you."; I responded in astonishment. I knew Melissa would want to know about William's sudden progress.

Melissa cancelled her plans for the evening and came in to read to William. In fact; she spent the remainder of the evening with him and stayed until he was sound asleep. There was not one single nurse with a dry eye as William cuddled to Melissa and listened to one story after another.

William continued to progress and soon afterward was discharged from the hospital; not to social services, but to the unit secretary who understood that this was a grieving child who needed a little time and lots of love to recover from his trauma.

Oh my goodness, no shortage of teary eyes here