My husband was having ongoing chest pain, shortness of breath, tightness in his chest, etc., and one night his symptoms were worse and more concerning than they had been, so we decided to go get him checked out just to be safe instead of waiting a couple more weeks for our cardiology appointment. As his wife, I was battling my own fears and anxiety after losing my previous husband. We realize he most definitely wasn’t the sickest patient they probably saw that night, and that we were just there needing peace of mind.

Sam was incredible, bringing a calming presence and compassion. She listened to us both explain his symptoms and our fears, and she was very personable and made us feel heard. By the time she got done checking us in and getting his initial work-up completed, we both felt such relief, not because we had answers yet as to why he felt as bad as he did, but because we were in good hands and had been heard.

After we got results and answers, she made a point to come back in and go over everything to ensure we fully understood and took the time to answer any questions we had. Everything about her, from the way she spoke to us, her body language, her personality, her patience, her kindness…the list goes on and on. It was exactly what we needed that night in our moment of fear and anxiety.

So many in the medical field either don’t have that in them, or they did have it and have reached burnout and lost their spark. My hope is that Sam realizes just how special she is and how much of an impact she can make on someone’s life, and I pray for protection over her from burnout as she continues to touch others the way she did us.

Sam, from the bottoms of our hearts, thank you!