My husband, T, was brought into Providence Park Hospital in critical condition after suffering a severe heart attack at home. T’s heart stopped and he stopped breathing several times before being brought into the ER and eventually ICU that day. Doctors told us on paper, he shouldn’t be here. Our family was devastated. T was too young (58) to suffer such a condition, he took great care of himself, ate right, and exercised 3-4 days a week since his 20s, but as we learned over the next few days, DNA doesn’t care about all that.

We realized his nurse, Courtney Kiseda, was special a very short time after meeting her in the ICU the next day. Courtney was so incredibly patient with me and my three mid-twenty-year-old children. My children and I were devastated, unsure if my husband would live, and if he did, what type of brain damage may have occurred. Courtney was always reassuring to us and helped keep us positive. Courtney was professional, but so incredibly caring and incredibly hard-working. Her patience and compassion for me and my children were impressive. She answered every question we had about T’s health status and the reason for each of the medications she was giving him, there were so many. She took the time to explain all the numbers on the ventilator screen and the therapeutic hypothermia machine he was placed on. She was constantly on top of all of his medications and checking in on him constantly, much of the time doing documentation at the window desk outside the room so she could keep an eye on things.

Although we know there were many other amazing doctors, nurses, and staff involved in my husband’s care, we truly feel he may not have survived had she not been with us those first critical days. Courtney treated my husband as a person, and not just a patient. This was evident when after the first couple of days of working with T, she was moved to a different unit. Courtney would continue to stop in on her lunch breaks and after work to check on me, and my children and to see how T was doing. Our family felt incredibly valued by Courtney. She truly, truly cared about each and everyone of us.

After T was removed from the ventilator, had some stents placed in the LAD (widowmaker) artery in his heart, and seemed to be on the mend, he suffered an arrhythmia and it was determined he would need a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted in his chest, he would be in ICU a little longer. All the while, Courtney continued to be concerned and stopped in to see us and offer us every comfort she could. The morning after T’s surgery, I came into his room first thing in the morning to see him sitting facing the window to the outside watching the sunrise. He was crying. He was emotional after understanding the full story of the previous week that I told him of the day before. I asked him if he was okay and what was making him sad. He said nothing, Courtney had just stopped in to see him. This was the first time he was able to actually really speak with her about everything we had relayed to him about her and all she had done to help keep him alive and keep our family intact. He said they spent a couple of minutes watching the sunrise together and she cried with him as he thanked her for everything she had done. It was an incredibly special and moving moment for my husband. One he will never forget.

I truly think Courtney was my husband's and family’s angel on earth during that time. We will forever be grateful to her and I will continue to keep her in my daily prayers for good health and happiness!