No words, no card, no award could ever truly express the depth of gratitude I feel today. While I understand that countless causes and conditions led to my husband’s survival after a major heart attack, there is one undeniable angel in this story—Raven.

My husband, G, called me on Thursday morning, his voice trembling with fear. He was at the dentist’s office, just a short walk from our home, and he told me through tears that he was experiencing chest pains and was really scared. The dentist immediately called 911, and the ambulance arrived soon after. The last message I received from G was that they were taking him to UVA. He told me he was in good hands, but he was terrified. Normally, I work from home, but that day, I was on a work trip in Boston. I felt helpless.

A little while later, the ER called to inform me that G had been admitted, was undergoing tests, and that the cardiologist would update me soon. When I didn’t hear back, I called the hospital again and was finally able to speak to the doctor. She reassured me in a calm voice that G was stable—talking, drinking water—but then she told me something that took my breath away. After G was placed in the ambulance, he suffered a massive heart attack. He went into full cardiac arrest. The paramedics performed CPR and shocked him five or six times to bring him back. Then, upon arriving at UVA, he was shocked again. It was only after a miraculous procedure in the Cath Lab that he was finally stabilized and admitted to the hospital.

I rushed back from Boston, arriving at the hospital close to midnight. The moment I saw G, his eyes filled with uncontrollable tears. I held him tightly, overwhelmed with relief that he was alive. Through sobs, he told me that the paramedics had saved his life, and if it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t be here today. The next morning, G met his nurse, a young man named Raven.

Raven walked into the room and asked, “Hey, do you remember me? I hope not, because we had a wild ride together yesterday.”
But, of course, G remembered him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, “You saved my life. Thank you. But thank you will never be enough.”

That’s when we learned that Raven wasn’t just G’s nurse—he was the paramedic who had fought to keep his heart beating in the ambulance. In his free time, he volunteers for the Western Albemarle County Rescue Squad, among numerous other noble medical efforts beyond his job as an RN in the Cardiac Care Unit. I asked him, “Is it common to be assigned to care for a patient whose life you saved as a paramedic?” He shook his head. “No. This is the first time in my life.”

Raven’s skill, training, and quick thinking saved my husband’s life that day. But as his nurse, he did so much more than just keep G alive—he cared for him in every sense of the word. He treated not only his physical recovery but also his emotional and spiritual suffering. To be on the brink of death and come back—six times—is life-altering. And Raven was there for him through it all.
I have met many compassionate people in my life, but Raven is extraordinary. Compassion, to me, is more than just feeling someone’s suffering—it’s the willingness to do something skillful, kind, and generous to relieve that suffering. And that is exactly who Raven is.

He answered every question we had about G’s recovery—physically, emotionally, mentally—with patience, kindness, and even humor. He made a terrifying situation feel manageable. He gave us hope. Because of Raven, I am not writing this in grief today. I am not mourning the loss of my husband, the father of our four beautiful daughters, the man who loves our two German Shepherds, the brother, the coach, the friend to so many. Instead, I am writing this with gratitude that G is still here, that he has been given another chance to live.

Raven will forever be a part of our story. And while no award could ever truly capture what he has given us, the greatest gift of all is that my husband is here today. That is Raven’s gift to us—forever.