I have always been the kind of guy who would absolutely refuse to go to the hospital until I would physically collapse or be unable to function. I had a severe infection that caused a large cyst to decimate my insides. I was in terrible pain; I was determined to be grumpy. Andrea could tell that I was upset, and she went out of her way to just talk to me, and within a matter of minutes, she had me laughing, and I felt much better. It’s genuinely amazing to see how, even though she was rushing around attending to a thousand things at once, not only did she successfully get everything done, but she also managed to find time to check on so many patients, myself included.

My roommate was very seriously ill; he couldn’t wheel himself to even get to the shower. I offered to push him to the bathroom, but somehow the nurses had found time to help him in this wheelchair and propped open the door for him before respectfully giving him space and privacy. I have always believed that when someone really, truly cares, it really does show. A healthcare worker like nurse Andrea is one in ten million. My parents were frantic and slightly panicked, and Andrea patiently and gently answered all their inquiries. For the very few questions she didn’t have the answers to, she took the time to reach out to the appropriate departments.

Due to both Andrea and the staff here, in less than 72 hours, I was CT-scanned, x-rayed, and scheduled for an endoscopy. I can honestly say that, despite how hard it got because of how much pain I was in, Andrea went truly above and beyond her duties and made me feel like not just a patient, but also a valued person, and she made me want to be an active and enthusiastic participant in my own journey toward recovery. She is a credit to healthcare workers everywhere, and this hospital is fortunate to have her represent it.