Quintin, also known as Kash, has shown time after time his dedication to his profession and how much patience and care he carries day in and day out. Having sickle cell anemia and having a decline in my health over the last year, I have had an incline of ER visits to the point where sometimes I feel deflated having to go to the ER because some nurses and employees that recognize me and see me constantly, carry a bias and stigma many sickle cell patients face and that is that we are drug seekers that aren’t in pain.

Sometimes, I struggle between being home in pain or going to the ER and likely having a poor experience. However, ever since I started being treated by Kash and having him as a nurse when I’m in the ER, I always feel safe, cared for, and accepted. It’s to the point where sometimes I proactively ask to be in the area he is in because I have peace of mind when he’s the nurse taking care of me.

When Kash is my nurse, I never have to get up from my bed or go chasing or looking for my nurse because he proactively checks in consistently to make sure I’m okay and asks if I need anything. Usually, with other nurses, I feel like I’m just left to be forgotten, and I have to go search for them when I’m in excruciating pain.

I can feel that Kash really cares. Kash also has magic hands. Being a hard stick because of my sickle cell, almost every nurse cannot get my IV. Usually, I must wait a while until a doctor or attending can use the ultrasound machine. However, whilst most nurses spend multiple tries and time looking for my vein, Kash has the impeccable skill to just look at my arms and immediately find a vein. He usually gets it in one try, but no more than 2 most times, which is very rare for me, even with ultrasound-guided needles.

Kash also prioritizes making sure patients are getting care, so much so to the point that sometimes even when he’s in another area, when I need anything IV or help, he comes to the area I’m in to assist the nurses with my IV or my care. This is absolutely commendable because he doesn’t have to do that. I truly appreciate his nurturing quality and ability to make me feel like a human who deserves care and deserves to be treated properly when seeking medical help.

Kash is an absolute gem in every way and is what every patient desires in their care team when dealing with health issues.

Kash always makes sure I have what I need and makes it a habit to check in often, so I don’t have to get up looking for my nurse while I’m in pain. From experience and from knowing other sickle cell patients' experiences, we are often not treated very well, but these nurses make us feel safe, cared for, and understood, and that is so important when you’re in and out of the hospital, and it’s taking a physical and mental toll on you and your life.