My husband was transferred from Woodland Memorial Hospital to Methodist Hospital, where they had GI services available for him. His primary care nurse was Melak. She was great in caring for my husband, very attentive to his, and also my needs. My husband had gone down to have a procedure, and during the procedure, he developed some complications.

The physician had to abort the procedure, and my husband was transferred back up to the floor. Melak was there to greet us when we arrived back on the floor she came in was assessing my husband and his vital signs when my husband had a very quick change in condition he became extremely hypoxic and symptomatic with feelings of lightheadedness, and he was close to losing consciousness, a rapid response was called blood transfusions were initiated along with fluid boluses with the use of a pressure bag.

I felt the team worked very well together during the rapid response. They worked quickly to try to stabilize my husband in order for him to be transferred to the ICU. Later that evening, when Melak ended her shift, she came to the ICU to see how we were doing and to apologize for what we had been through. She said that she was so sorry that she had not expected this to happen. She gave me a hug, I thanked her, and I asked if they allowed visitors to stay overnight in the waiting room, and she explained that she didn't think that they allowed that.

I told her I may just stay here close to the hospital, possibly in my car, so I could be close to him, and she was so sweet to offer for me, a stranger, to come to her home. She was insisting that I go to her house and that she had an extra room for me, a bathroom where I could shower, and a bed where I could sleep. She said she didn't live far away from the hospital. When I had told her no, that it was ok, she kept saying, “No, I’m serious.” I will give you my address. Please come. I want you to come. I want you to be comfortable. I have a bedroom. I have a shower. You can sleep. You can rest. You can be close to the hospital."

For somebody to offer that to a complete stranger, and the compassion that she showed to us, really to me was just the definition of human kindness. I have been a nurse for 21 years and I always try to remember to treat patients as if they were my family or my friend or one of my loved ones and this really just reminded me of that and her hospitality meant so much to me and just reinforces in my mind to continue to not only care for our patients but care for their family as well.

This is something that I will remember and hold close to my heart! Every hospital and every unit should have nurses like Melak!