Joan Landstra
November 2022
Joan
Landstra
,
RN
Progressive Care Unit
University of Michigan Health West
Wyoming
,
MI
United States
Joan must have sensed our sadness and discouragement because she came over to me with her eyes sparkling over her mask. “I’ve seen miracles,” she said.
Miracles happen at the village (metro) hospital. It was a miracle that this hospital with its sterling staff was a mere six minutes away when my lively daughter passed out/stopped breathing and was rushed into your care. The neurological surgery team saw something hopeful in her and an off-duty surgeon came in specially for the midnight emergency brain surgery. With 20-30% chance of waking, my daughter spent 10 days expertly cared for in the ICU. The move to critical care left her coughing, flushed, and exhausted.
Giving up hope and miracles I was certain we’d lost her forever! The next morning was Mother’s Day Sunday. It was her first morning in critical care. Joan was working quietly, gently with my daughter who had calmed down from yesterday's move and was peaceful. Joan must have sensed our sadness and discouragement because she came over to me with her eyes sparkling over her mask. “I’ve seen miracles,” she said. “Find someone who knows how to pray.” She proceeded to wash my daughter's face with a cold cloth, held her hand, asked for squeezes, gently coaxed her to open her eyes, and encouraged my daughter to come out because her family wanted to talk to her. My daughter gazed at Joan and raised her hand to the shining stethoscope around Joan's neck. She held it precisely in her fingers and turned it curious about the sparkles at that moment I knew our daughter was working her way back to me. It was a Mother’s Day miracle!
Joan had me take over holding her hand and I could feel the squeezing. At one point my daughter patted my hand. Joan instructed me to tell my daughter about everything that had happened to her. Joan quietly left us and I talked while my daughter listened for over ½ an hour. Evidently, every day for the 2 weeks, I was with her in the critical care unit, Joan would softly reiterate “…you are going to get well!” Three weeks later my daughter is talking and I am listening!
“I want blueberry pancakes and waffles,” she said immediately upon seeing me. That’s our favorite happy meal. She remembers. “I need some real food!” She adds. She is now continuing her rehabilitation. She’ll be back to being a daughter, a big sister, a wife, and a mom. I’m so grateful to all of you. Thank you for promoting miracles.
Giving up hope and miracles I was certain we’d lost her forever! The next morning was Mother’s Day Sunday. It was her first morning in critical care. Joan was working quietly, gently with my daughter who had calmed down from yesterday's move and was peaceful. Joan must have sensed our sadness and discouragement because she came over to me with her eyes sparkling over her mask. “I’ve seen miracles,” she said. “Find someone who knows how to pray.” She proceeded to wash my daughter's face with a cold cloth, held her hand, asked for squeezes, gently coaxed her to open her eyes, and encouraged my daughter to come out because her family wanted to talk to her. My daughter gazed at Joan and raised her hand to the shining stethoscope around Joan's neck. She held it precisely in her fingers and turned it curious about the sparkles at that moment I knew our daughter was working her way back to me. It was a Mother’s Day miracle!
Joan had me take over holding her hand and I could feel the squeezing. At one point my daughter patted my hand. Joan instructed me to tell my daughter about everything that had happened to her. Joan quietly left us and I talked while my daughter listened for over ½ an hour. Evidently, every day for the 2 weeks, I was with her in the critical care unit, Joan would softly reiterate “…you are going to get well!” Three weeks later my daughter is talking and I am listening!
“I want blueberry pancakes and waffles,” she said immediately upon seeing me. That’s our favorite happy meal. She remembers. “I need some real food!” She adds. She is now continuing her rehabilitation. She’ll be back to being a daughter, a big sister, a wife, and a mom. I’m so grateful to all of you. Thank you for promoting miracles.