June 2025 Honoree
Belling Madeleine, LPN
Madeleine was my nurse for only a few shifts, but she made an enormous difference to me. The first time I met her, she had come to my call light immediately, and she wasn’t even my assigned nurse that day. It was one of my first times having to ask for help with an embarrassing self-care. She gave me dignity and respect and made it much less uncomfortable for me.
When she was my nurse, I asked her for help with a couple of other self-cares that I had not been comfortable asking of others, but she gave me that comfort level with her. She was easy to talk to and enjoyable to interact with as well.
One day, I had a horrendous migraine. I could not have asked for a better nurse. She was extremely responsive to my needs and obviously cared. She didn’t wait for me to push my call light, but came in to check on me at other times too.
When it wasn’t getting better with my usual meds, she thought to ask what else can be or has been normally done at this point. She got new orders right away, and that treatment worked. She was such an excellent nurse to me, but stood out even more than that.
A little background first…
I am an upper extremity amputee, had just had surgery on my one arm, and was unable to use it. Good progress had been made toward being able to take care of myself, except for one thing. I was unable to fully pull my pants up. They had to be loose sweatpants since buttons and zippers were impossible.
My discharge date was coming closer, and insurance was going to insist on whether I could pull my pants up or not. Everyone was trying to help with ways to do it, even friends. I was stuck; nothing was working.
Then Madeleine was my nurse again. She said “why don’t you try loops on either side of them”. It was simple, but brilliant. No one else had thought of this. And it worked!
The next day after the loops were attached, and working, I found her to show her. She was obviously invested in my success, looking as happy as I was. Because of Madeleine, I was able to go home and actually dress myself. She was crucial to my success at home after discharge.
On the morning of my discharge, she was not my nurse, but she came in to say good-bye. That meant something to me; it meant a lot.
When she was my nurse, I asked her for help with a couple of other self-cares that I had not been comfortable asking of others, but she gave me that comfort level with her. She was easy to talk to and enjoyable to interact with as well.
One day, I had a horrendous migraine. I could not have asked for a better nurse. She was extremely responsive to my needs and obviously cared. She didn’t wait for me to push my call light, but came in to check on me at other times too.
When it wasn’t getting better with my usual meds, she thought to ask what else can be or has been normally done at this point. She got new orders right away, and that treatment worked. She was such an excellent nurse to me, but stood out even more than that.
A little background first…
I am an upper extremity amputee, had just had surgery on my one arm, and was unable to use it. Good progress had been made toward being able to take care of myself, except for one thing. I was unable to fully pull my pants up. They had to be loose sweatpants since buttons and zippers were impossible.
My discharge date was coming closer, and insurance was going to insist on whether I could pull my pants up or not. Everyone was trying to help with ways to do it, even friends. I was stuck; nothing was working.
Then Madeleine was my nurse again. She said “why don’t you try loops on either side of them”. It was simple, but brilliant. No one else had thought of this. And it worked!
The next day after the loops were attached, and working, I found her to show her. She was obviously invested in my success, looking as happy as I was. Because of Madeleine, I was able to go home and actually dress myself. She was crucial to my success at home after discharge.
On the morning of my discharge, she was not my nurse, but she came in to say good-bye. That meant something to me; it meant a lot.
Thank you, Belling, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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