Aqeelah AlZaher, Nurse Specialist

Nurse Aqilah cared for an elderly patient who had kidney failure and lived alone following his wife’s death. During his dialysis sessions, she noticed that he refused to eat despite experiencing repeated episodes of low blood pressure. Through gentle conversation, she learned that he had no one to prepare home-cooked meals for him and relied on dry, unhealthy food.

The next day, Aqilah brought him a warm meal she had prepared herself. She continued bringing him food each day before his dialysis session. She also organized a simple initiative within the unit, coordinating snack donations from patients and their families for those attending dialysis.

Her compassion extended beyond his physical needs. After his sessions, she sat with him, offering encouragement and companionship. She affectionately called him “my father,” which helped ease his loneliness and made him feel cared for. She also contacted a charitable organization to arrange assistance for him at home.

Over time, his health improved: his blood pressure stabilized, and his blood albumin level increased. His smile returned, and he began offering emotional support and friendly encouragement to new patients in the unit.