Mae Seville
September 2025
Mae
Seville
,
BSN, RN
Cardiac Neuro Intensive Care Unit
Edward Hospital and Edward Medical Group
Naperville
,
IL
United States
She took extra time out of her night to patiently show me how to clean myself, which gave me back some of the independence I so desperately wanted to have.
After an accident on the softball field, I found myself in the ICU. One second, I was playing my senior season of college softball, and the next, I was being rushed into emergency surgery after being kicked in the head. I woke up in the ICU with nearly half my head shaved, in pain, and confused about what had happened. I could have lost my life that day, but because of my amazing medical team, I am still here walking and talking. One of those amazing people was my night nurse, Mae. I will never forget the impact she made on me.
Not only was she knowledgeable about my medical care, but she truly cared about me as a person. She made me feel calm and comfortable during the scariest time in my life. She made me smile and laugh in moments where I didn’t know I could. She helped boost my spirits, which I truly believed helped me recover so effectively. I remember her asking me if I wanted her to show me how to wipe my own body down so I could feel a little bit cleaner. She took extra time out of her night to patiently show me how to clean myself, which gave me back some of the independence I so desperately wanted to have. She didn’t have to be patient and show me how to do this; it would have been much easier for her to have just done it herself. But she cared about allowing me to feel comfortable and giving me the autonomy to care for myself whenever possible.
She also gave me a little figurine of a guy with a megaphone. She told me he was cheering me on through my recovery. I had him sitting on my bedside table from the moment she gave him to me. I remember looking over when I needed a little smile and a reminder that I could get through this. I will soon be bringing that figurine with me to occupational therapy school as I study to one day help people who are going through something difficult, just as I did. I will have that figurine to cheer me on through school and remind me of the importance of what I am doing. Mae was an amazing nurse, and I will forever be grateful for the care she provided for me. I hope to one day possess the same patience and compassion for my patients that she showed me. Mae went above and beyond her job duties when caring for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better nurse.
Not only was she knowledgeable about my medical care, but she truly cared about me as a person. She made me feel calm and comfortable during the scariest time in my life. She made me smile and laugh in moments where I didn’t know I could. She helped boost my spirits, which I truly believed helped me recover so effectively. I remember her asking me if I wanted her to show me how to wipe my own body down so I could feel a little bit cleaner. She took extra time out of her night to patiently show me how to clean myself, which gave me back some of the independence I so desperately wanted to have. She didn’t have to be patient and show me how to do this; it would have been much easier for her to have just done it herself. But she cared about allowing me to feel comfortable and giving me the autonomy to care for myself whenever possible.
She also gave me a little figurine of a guy with a megaphone. She told me he was cheering me on through my recovery. I had him sitting on my bedside table from the moment she gave him to me. I remember looking over when I needed a little smile and a reminder that I could get through this. I will soon be bringing that figurine with me to occupational therapy school as I study to one day help people who are going through something difficult, just as I did. I will have that figurine to cheer me on through school and remind me of the importance of what I am doing. Mae was an amazing nurse, and I will forever be grateful for the care she provided for me. I hope to one day possess the same patience and compassion for my patients that she showed me. Mae went above and beyond her job duties when caring for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better nurse.