MaryJo goes above and beyond every single month when I see her for my infusion. She does her best to make sure I'm comfortable and have everything that I could need. When I was extremely ill and had some critical blood values, she made sure to call the following day to make sure that I had made the hundred-mile trip back to my home all tight. I was quite ill, and ended up in the emergency room the following day, and her call meant so much because it meant that when I left that infusion center the day before, her patients matter so much to her that she goes to bed wondering if they are okay. So the following day, when she got to work, she made sure that I was.

I had another instant where some doctors who are not part of the Glen Oaks system required some blood tests to be taken specifically prior to an IGG infusion. On two separate occasions, MaryJo worked miracles to make sure that I had the proper orders. She walked me up to the lab to get the orders taken on the first occasion, and then on the second occasion, she was able to get the supervising doctor to not only reorder a very specific blood test for neoplastic syndrome. But she also made sure when she took that blood that it would be going to the correct lab; my neurologist requested it be sent for accuracy. I have never in my life had a nurse go so far above and beyond for her patients.

MaryJo is the kind of nurse who sets a standard for how nursing should be executed. Prior to becoming sick, I was a paramedic working in the field, so I am quite familiar with how hospitals have to function, procedures having to be followed, and all of the other minuscule things in between that a lot of other patients do not realize have to happen in order to allow for this. I have never seen a nurse so dedicated to ensuring that all the correct procedures and other requirements are met. Even knowing that I am a healthcare provider, she will still triple-check every single bottle of medication with me. Even though she has known me for 6 months and I have seen her once a month for anywhere from 4 to 6 hours at a time, so she is quite familiar with me as a patient. She still verifies my name and birth dates, that it is the right medication, the right mute, the right dosage, and the right time, every single time. I have never met a nurse so devoted to her job.

And it’s not just a job for her, it’s a calling. Of the many nurses I have had care for me over the last decade, by far MaryJo exemplifies what the nursing profession looks like. She cares for her patients with diligence, skill, and compassion. Mary Jo is the main reason that I happily travel as far as I do to receive an infusion that I could potentially receive closer to my home. Glen Oaks Hospital is so very lucky to have her as a nurse. Both nurses in the infusion center are angels on Earth. And Glen Oaks is so very lucky to have both of them. I was very lucky to be blessed to have her as my infusion nurse, who goes so far above her call of duty for every single patient she encounters.