Last Sunday I was hiking the Crabtree Falls Trail. We had gone to the top and we were headed down when I fell. At the time - I did not know I broke 3 bones in my right ankle but I did know my right leg/foot would not hold my weight. As hikers passed us, we asked them to call 911. We knew we had to make it down so I could seek medical care. At one point - a person - ran up the trail and told us she was a nurse and she wanted to help. That nurse was Liz Brown. She helped us get down the mountain, she encouraged me and she became part of my team. She took off her white sweater and tied it around my right leg so I would not reflexively use it. We came upon other folks who offered to carry me and she stayed with us until EMS arrived after dark. She established eye contact with me (because she knew I had come to rely on her on this journey) and reassured me I was in great hands and she was going to leave now. Liz Brown is a true nurse/angel in the true sense of the word because she is a skilled, resourceful and compassionate soul on duty and off duty.

When EMS arrived they decided to take me to UVA rather than Fishersville because they felt I needed a trauma center. Had I gone to Fishersville, I was going to make sure someone knew of my experience with Liz. I am back at my home in Roanoke, preparing to have surgery on the three broken bones in my ankle. She was beside me during the hardest moments and I will never forget her skill, generosity, and kindness. Thank you.