My Uncle was recently a patient at Kaiser, struggling with COVID-19 for more than a month. Many excellent nurses gave care to him and our family, and I'm so very grateful to each of them for pouring out their hearts and love to us... But one nurse stood apart from the rest because she went over and above every single day for him: Kati. When my uncle was at his sickest, and we were all so afraid for his life, Kati didn't hesitate to partner with M, the respiratory therapist, to find a way for my uncle to tolerate proning for the very first time. He had previously been so hesitant to try this activity, but as his oxygen status deteriorated, his life would come to depend on this simple act of laying on his stomach for hours on end in order to get oxygen to his body's cells. She came out to find me on my shift and tell me that they'd had success: they'd managed to take seven or eight pillows and get him to tolerate lying on his stomach for the first time. I looked to the monitors and saw his oxygen at almost 100%, the highest it had been so far. Once he succeeded with it, it became easier and easier to convince him to lie prone. I think it's because Kati and M pushed so hard that first time to find a way for him to be comfortable while he did this. If they hadn't advocated for him like that with his best interests in mind, I'd hate to think of how things might have turned out.
Each day after that, it was either that he held his ground, or made the most minuscule of improvements. But Kati and her team helped us celebrate those wins. She even reached out to me on her days off to get updates on my uncle and to celebrate those small victories with me and my family. At one point, after he'd been in the hospital for so very long, she recognized that his spirit might be starting to feel a little deflated. It'd been such slow progress. She recommended we find a way to remind him that he was so deeply loved - and her idea was beautiful: We'd stand on the parking garage with signs for him that he could see from his hospital window... Kati dipped into her emotional well for me and for my family. She hugged me in the hallway as I cried. She had a word of advice or encouragement. She had ideas to help keep my Uncle's body alive and his spirit strong. She took emotional energy from her days off to go that extra mile and check in with me.
So, take a bow, Kati. Because you gave and gave and gave so selflessly. But I'm putting the spotlight on you now - my Uncle is alive. My Uncle's a hero for battling COVID so fiercely and winning. But battles aren't fought alone. You're a hero for supporting him and for supporting us during this trying experience. We love you and are so grateful for the work of the heart that you do.