When we think of Guardian Angels, we think of Abigail Rey with the Medical/Surgical ICA at Banner University Medical Center, an extraordinary nurse. Our son, age 26, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in critical condition with respiratory distress, multiple organ failure and 24/7 dialysis from severe pancreatitis. There were many nurses who oversaw the process of keeping him alive, but the one nurse who really stood out as she worked under pressure and took charge of getting him stable was Abigail. Even though he was in a medically induced coma, Abigail developed a relationship with him that showed she truly cared about her patient. We believe he felt her good positive vibes every day she was there, leading to his stabilization. Abigail made a powerful difference in our son's progress.
These times were also stressful for family members, and Abigail met our family needs by going above and beyond in her communication with us and attending to our needs as well. Abigail is a role model for compassion for not only the patient but the family as well. Abigail set a goal each day for our son and had it posted in the room for our family to see. She was accessible every day to educate, update, and provide emotional support for us. It was stressful for us to leave our son's bedside, but we felt most confident and secure in doing so when we knew Abigail was his nurse. We loved when Abby would say, "I'm so happy!" in reference to his progress because when she was happy, we all were happy. At the end of those busy, stressful days, Abigail still had a smile on her face.
Not only did we gain trust and respect for Abigail, but it was evident that the attending doctors and other nurses also trusted and respected her. She would suggest a plan for our son to the doctors and they would concur with her plan or assessment. Many times, the doctors would suggest a course and look to Abby for agreement. This really showed that Abby had a vision, understood our son's condition and had his best interest in her heart. Every time he had to be transferred to Interventional Radiology, Abigail worked tirelessly and organized a small village to accompany her. We knew that our son's Angel was with him the entire time watching over him, which brought peace to our family.
Our son transferred from Medical/Surgical to Trauma/Surgery three weeks later. We credit Abigail in his successful progress to the next stage of his recovery. After he transferred to Trauma/Surgery and he became more alert, Abigail came down to see him and meet him face-to-face. This shows that her concern for him continued even after she was no longer part of his care team. Her laugh, smile, and positive attitude made all the difference in our lives. What Abigail did for our son will never be forgotten, and Abigail will always be special to our family.