In the spring of 2019, I had a 20-day hospital stay at St. Luke's on 9T. Hope was one of my nurses. She was patient, caring, knowledgeable, sensitive, and incredibly funny. As a mom, I missed my children, desperately. Hope was a light during my day for many reasons, but one that made her unique was her ability to make me laugh. Every day that Hope came into my room, she would have a cute, clean, and witty joke to tell me. She found out that my 6-year-old son also loved jokes and would even bring a new one in for me to tell him on our daily phone calls. I cannot express the gratitude I have for her knowledge, and for her ability to sense the fact that during what was a very traumatic and frightening experience, I just needed to laugh. Laughing helped me find joy in an experience that, simply put, I wished wasn't happening.
In addition to those experiences, Hope's level of care was above my expectations. She tailored her visits to make sure she had time to answer all of my questions, and those of my family members when they were present. She learned my daily routine and helped me to feel comfortable knowing all of my options. She made me feel human, and not just like a person in search of a body that I felt had betrayed me.
Hope will always have a special place in my heart. She was truly an angel that was sent to take care of my heart and spirit, as well as my sick body. I am finally ready to finish processing this experience, and could not complete this journey without thanking the people, like Hope, who helped me heal and get back home to my family.