In March, I was admitted to Coastal Plains Psych Unit. Prior to admission, I relapsed after 23 years of sobriety and ended up slicing my wrist during an episode of cocaine psychosis. Having recently served 22 years in prison, I was very proud of having been clean for so long and the shame of relapse was more than I could bear. I have suffered from PTSD, shame, depression, and loneliness since my release from prison and my admission to Coastal Plains was really the first time I had discussed any of that with anyone.

On my first night there, Elle was giving me medication when the proverbial damn burst. She listened to me while I went and talked of the shame, guilt, and loneliness that was consuming me. As I began to calm down, she placed her hand on my shoulder and said “look at me; you are going to be okay.” Simple words and the kindness of a human touch were so much more than any medication could provide. I felt like I mattered and that feeling grew into hope during my brief stay at the hospital.

Elle is not only a good nurse and credit to her profession, she is a kind and decent human being who took a few extra moments during her busy shifts to reach out and encourage me to hold my head up and keep going. Coastal Plains is very lucky to have a nurse with her levels of compassion and ethics and I feel so privileged and blessed to have met her at one of the most difficult times of my life. I’m proof that she deserves this recognition, as are so many other patients whose lives she has touched.