While I was rounding at the hospital today and sharing my gratitude with our staff for giving up their time with family on Christmas to care for our patients, amidst the cheerfulness observed by most there was one particular unit that was with a heavy heart. One of our nurse's aides from ICU-South, Nicole, was in a car accident this past Sunday and is not expected to make it through this Christmas day. Nicole has been part of our team for at least seven years and was just about to finish her nursing degree. While I can't say I personally knew Nicole well, I do remember seeing her smiling face in my rounds throughout the hospital and from the reaction of her teammates I can certainly say she will greatly missed. The bittersweet irony of all of this is that Nicole works in the ICU that cares for our transplant patients and the nurses working today were waiting for that call to let them know that someone special would be receiving the gift of life today as their friend and co-worker Nicole passed. On such a special day for many, its hard to fathom others great loss and sorrow. I know all of our prayers will be with Nicole's son, family, and friends this day.
Elsewhere in my rounds a nurse on 8-Heart & Lung made me this snowflake and I thought of how perfect it looked. At the same time, I couldn't help but think of Nicole. Everyone of us is perfect and unique in our own way while we are here on this earth. I would hope that we could all remember and treasure that thought, because like the snowflake we don't know when our time will come. Godspeed Nicole, our thoughts and prayers are with you this Christmas day.
