My mother was admitted into the hospital from 11/29/2013 - 12/18/2013. It was a very scary time for my mom and my family. We saw many nurses, many CPs, and many doctors. In a time like this all you want is to know what is happening and what has to be done to get my mom home safe and healthy as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it was not that easy. It took a team of physicians and days of observations to know exactly what was happening. All my family and I could do was to take it one day at a time. Every day was hard. Those 2-3 weeks were one of the hardest times of my life. It was my mommy rock, my best friend, my hero and I had no idea if she was getting better or worse.

The only way I was able to stay positive in this very difficult time was because I had a guardian angel named Raul Botana. He did not have direct responsibility for my mom. Raul came to me one day and asked me how I was doing. As we all know, in Homestead Hospital, we are a huge family and I immediately felt very comfortable talking to him about her. He did not hesitate to provide me with his contact information and told me to call him at anytime if I had any questions. As days went by, there were many questions that went through my mind that I did not have the answers. I was very scared. The doctors always tell you the consequences of each procedure and they explain it in medical terms which I didn't necessarily understand. I called Raul and he explained all the procedures to me and answered all the questions that I had. He even gave me questions to ask the doctors for more clarity.

Very quickly Raul gave me peace of mind. He provided me guidance and strength that helped me exude confidence to my family and especially my mom. Raul would call me almost every day just to see how my mom was doing. There was one night that I called him and asked if he thought it would be okay for my mom to stay alone for a couple of hours in the morning. Raul recommended that someone should be there because my mom was not stable. He offered to stay with my mom from 6:30am until my brother showed up. At the end my dad ended up staying with her but for Raul to offer to stay with her really demonstrated to me the passion that he has for patient care. Raul remained as my source and my mom's guardian angel.

Raul still asks about my mom. Raul Botana is truly an exceptional nurse and I am so blessed to call him my friend.