Andy quietly knocked on the door before entering my room, but then when he assessed I was awake his demeanor changed. He met the moment with a smile and a jovial spirit. He stood at nearly 6'2" with a medium frame, solidly built probably in his mid-thirties. His smile and presence dominated the room. Andy worked the twelve-hour day shift as my nurse for several consecutive days. Behind his jovial demeanor worked a truly professional nurse. He stayed on top of medications, vital signs, and comfort issues. Simply put, he remained attentive and responsive to patient care and professional duty. For those issues alone, Andy should be remembered.
When my son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters (ages eight and five) came to visit, the joy of seeing them was incredible. However, a hospital is not necessarily the most comfortable place for children. So, to help with their visit, and being very limited to what Grandma could do for them, I had purposely withheld Jello and popsicles from my meals and had them frozen/refrigerated for a later time; that is, their visit. They enjoyed the treats. When Andy came into the room, my popsicles and Jello got trumped. He asked the girls if they would like to see a magic trick. Of course, they said "yes" immediately. So Andy disappeared behind the privacy curtain for just long enough to create a little suspense. He appeared with a Rubik's Cube in his hand. He showed everyone the Rubik's Cube and that it had already been solved. That was impressive in and of itself, but not the magic trick. He then held the cube out in one hand. Next, he brought his other hand forward to cover and hide the cube. He then began to squeeze and press as hard as he could on the cube making little facial and body gestures to emphasize the effort he put into trying to change the cube. After a minute, he relaxed and opened his hands. The Rubik's Cube remained unchanged. Very visibly disappointed, he returned to hide behind the curtain to regroup for a second attempt at his magic trick.
He reappeared to his audience and gave equal or more effort than the first time to effect a change on the Rubik's Cube. When his squeezing efforts were completed, he smiled and this time he reached both hands behind his back. When his hands returned to his front side, they both remained clenched one over the other. Satisfied with his efforts, he slowly unclenched his hands and revealed the Rubik's Cube. This time, SUCCESS. The cube that once filled his large hand had shrunk to one-quarter of its original size; it has become a baby Rubik's Cube. Everyone laughed and totally enjoyed the magic moment. The five-year-old began questioning Andy, trying to figure out how he did this trick.
The girls returned for two more visits and each time the magic man appeared and each time they saw a new show even though he did the same trick. Their delight and enthusiasm warmed my healing heart. Also, heartwarming was this grown man, a professional, dedicated nurse taking the time to put on a two-minute magic show in the hospital room. Beyond words, the act was thoughtful, giving, refreshing, fun and changed my room into a magic place apart from the miracle of life-saving medical care they were giving Grandma. I later joked with him that in his next life he needed to be a clown.
I would not expect most of you to sign up for open-heart surgery to get to see Andy's Act. That is why I wanted to be sure to share it with you today.
Note: This is Andy's 2nd DAISY Award!