My husband arrived on 5th floor late on a Monday afternoon after a long evening before in the ER. This was his first stay and to say we were both scared of his diagnosis is putting it mildly. My husband had no idea what to expect or truly what was what and my nerves were on a frazzled end until we met his nurse. He got my husband settled in and got him reassured that all was going to be okay, but we had to follow the doctor's orders in an effort to get home healthier than how he had arrived. Mike also took extra measures to make sure that I was comfortable and had everything I needed to stay by my husband's side. Even when Mike knew he had a day off he made sure I was comfortable before he left. During our time there my husband took a slight turn for the worst. While Mike had always talked to my husband man to man or friend to friend, once he saw that my husband was potentially doing self-harm he was stern with him and in no way backed down from what needed to be done in efforts to support healing. He even knew when I needed a break and often encouraged me to step out and get myself some coffee and fresh air. Reluctant to leave his bedside, he would reassure me by saying, "I've got him. That's my job."

We ended up being discharged from the hospital late Saturday afternoon and even though Mike was not working on our wing, he made special efforts to come tell us goodbye and see us off! I can honestly say we had several great nurses that week, but Mike went above and beyond. He made being stuck in the hospital bed more bearable by being human, relatable, funny, and empathetic to his patient and myself, and downright kind. Most of all he was a true advocate for his patient when he felt he needed to (which I got to witness firsthand), and that made all the difference.