There was an emergency in the CVICU today; Matthew's patient needed help. Her purple stuffed animal had been injured and sustained a serious laceration to the abdomen. Despite insurmountable odds and those first-time jitters, Matthew was able to gather the courage to save this little creature.
Without a second thought, he leaped into action, creating an imaginary operating room right before her eyes. With a running suture that plastics would have been envious of, he zipped up that fuzzy little patient's laceration like he'd been doing it his whole life. This little girl was completely engulfed in the make-believe surgery, watching his every move, eager to embrace her little friend. She picked out a pink Band-Aid to dress the wound and smiled the entire time.
Matthew is an exceptional nurse. His clinical skills are top-notch, but his connection to the kids is where he really shines. There aren't many things that can put a smile on my face faster than catching him singing to an infant.
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In the 11 years that Matthew has been part of the Heart Center, he has held several titles including his current role as ECMO Specialist in our Advanced Therapies department. This story reflects his passion to make every child's stay just a little better. Matthew is dedicated to high quality, safe patient care, and always finds a way to sneak in a moment like this with his patients. Matthew's clinical experience is appreciated by many - we are so glad to have him on our team!