About a month ago, my husband spent 3 weeks in the ICU with a subarachnoid hemorrhage at the age of 34. This was by far the scariest thing that my family has had to go through, and along with our worries and fears about his health, we had four little kids at home wondering what was going to happen to Daddy. He had a lot of fantastic nurses care for him during this time, but Caitlin really seemed to go above and beyond our expectations. From the first day we met her, we knew that she had a wonderful calming factor about her and we related to her well. Whenever something changed or he had to go through a procedure, she would always take the time to sit down and explain what was happening and answer any questions we had, while reassuring us, and especially him, about the outcome. She had the ability to relate to his 70 year old parents all the way down to our 2 year old twins, and her attentiveness to our family’s need for encouragement and support was amazing.

Caitlin was the one who really listened and validated his wants and needs and she really made things happen for him. He battled some pretty severe leg pain for a few days and he wanted so badly to get up and walk. Everyone kept telling him he couldn’t do that and he just needed to be patient. Caitlin was the one who thought this might be possible and would help him, and after speaking with his doctor about the possibility, that night he stood for the first time. It was a really exciting day for everyone and it really boosted his attitude towards recovery. When he refused to use his bedpan and wanted to go to a real bathroom for some privacy, she surprised him one day with a portable commode.

There were countless other “little things” that she did that were really “big things” to us. Her medical expertise and attention to detail was also excellent and we completely trusted her judgment. We always knew the days Caitlin was there, it was going to be a good day. We all felt that we could talk to her about any of our fears or concerns as well as celebrate her patient’s achievements. She is one of the most caring and compassionate nurses we have ever met and I feel like she deserves recognition for the extraordinary care we received, not only for my husband, but for our entire family.

Thanks, Caitlin… you’re awesome!!!