Ava Bastress
February 2021
Ava
Bastress
,
RN
Open Heart ICU
WellSpan York Hospital
There were several people in there attending to him, but one very bright light stood out, Ava. She was calm, looked me straight in the eye, answered every single question we had, and reassured me that he was okay.
My biggest fear was realized the day my husband was diagnosed with three cardiac artery blocks- two at 80% and one at 100%. He would be prepped for open-heart surgery that day. He was recovering from double knee replacements at another hospital when he started to have chest burning. After testing at that facility, he was transferred to WellSpan York Hospital. That same early morning, he was taken to the Cath Lab where they diagnosed his very acute heart condition. All this happened so fast and set intense fear in all of us. My husband was taken to the Open Heart ICU, where he would be stabilized and prepped for surgery. This whole process was stressful and grueling, just waiting and praying and wondering what was going to happen next.
En route to the ICU, I was met by Ava, a confident, strong, and capable nurse who assured me that he was in very caring hands and I would be able to see him once he was stable. Walking in to see him in the ICU that first time was upsetting. He was on a ventilator and hooked up to all kinds of wires and machines with alarms and LED readouts. There were several people in there attending to him, but one very bright light stood out, Ava. She was calm, looked me straight in the eye, answered every single question we had, and reassured me that he was okay. That they had him. She was exactly what I needed at that very scary time. Throughout the day and the next morning, when his surgery actually occurred, she was right there. She was also there when the surgery was over and throughout the day monitoring him, attending to his needs, keeping him stable, etc.
My husband does not really remember Ava because she was with him throughout the time that he was sedated. She was an Angel who did so much, without the need for attention or praise or even thanks. But she deserves it so much. I know there was a whole incredible team involved, including the doctors, Pas, nurses, and anesthetists. I thank them all. To me, Ava was the incredible gem that my family and I needed at the most vulnerable times of our lives. Thank you, sweet Ava.
En route to the ICU, I was met by Ava, a confident, strong, and capable nurse who assured me that he was in very caring hands and I would be able to see him once he was stable. Walking in to see him in the ICU that first time was upsetting. He was on a ventilator and hooked up to all kinds of wires and machines with alarms and LED readouts. There were several people in there attending to him, but one very bright light stood out, Ava. She was calm, looked me straight in the eye, answered every single question we had, and reassured me that he was okay. That they had him. She was exactly what I needed at that very scary time. Throughout the day and the next morning, when his surgery actually occurred, she was right there. She was also there when the surgery was over and throughout the day monitoring him, attending to his needs, keeping him stable, etc.
My husband does not really remember Ava because she was with him throughout the time that he was sedated. She was an Angel who did so much, without the need for attention or praise or even thanks. But she deserves it so much. I know there was a whole incredible team involved, including the doctors, Pas, nurses, and anesthetists. I thank them all. To me, Ava was the incredible gem that my family and I needed at the most vulnerable times of our lives. Thank you, sweet Ava.