My father arrived in the Critical Care Unit early Saturday morning. Anabella was the nurse who took care of him in the early hours when he got into critical care. My dad has high anxiety and can, at times, be difficult to talk off the ledge, but somehow and miraculously, Anabella managed to do so. She was patient and calm with my father.

My father came in with what is called a heart block, and his condition and his pulse were as low as 28. Anabella not only reassured my father that she could manage his condition safely, but she also educated him about the different functions of the heart and why he may need a pacemaker. This alleviated my dad’s anxiety and fear so much. Luckily, Anabella was my dad’s nurse Saturday and Sunday night (he was transferred to another hospital Monday morning). My dad mentioned that Anabella did everything on Saturday and Sunday night to make him feel comfortable. She even had the resident doctor prescribe a sleeping medication when she felt that my dad was suffering from a sleep deficit.

In my dad’s working days, he was CEO of a computer company and was as “type A” as they came. To my dismay, that personality trait did carry over to his hospitalization. However, Anabella managed him and the entire situation like a pro. While I was visiting I even noticed that Anabella always called my dad “Sir” and did everything she could (through reassurance and education) to make him feel safe and to preserve his dignity. No question went unanswered and Anabella was just as kind to him as she was to us, his family. I would also like to thank Anabella for acknowledging my dad’s military service, as it made my dad feel special.

Anabella was wonderful at night during my dad’s entire hospital stay, as was another nurse during the day, as were the Patient Care Technicians and Housekeeping. Our family was so thankful for the wonderful care. My dad was so lucky to have such amazing care from the time he called 911 when the paramedics arrived to his time in the emergency department and then finally in critical care under the watchful eyes of Anabella Dacpano. My family, including my dad, are very happy to have this platform to recognize the great care. We would like to wish good health to all, and hopefully, we will not have to meet again.