Michael Ramirez should be celebrated not just for being one incredible Nurse, but for being a truly incredible human being and beautiful spirit. I've never had surgery before, and I was truly afraid. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease a few years ago, and due to that disease, I now had to undergo surgery that was really scary for me, especially still being pretty young. It was a surgery that was not only difficult to talk about, but was extremely difficult to prep for and made for a lot of discomfort and many truly embarrassing moments. I'm sharing this story about Michael because not only did he make my experience with my surgery so much better, but he showed me that nurses aren't just there to physically care for their patients but to care for their spirit and take care of their emotions as well. 

I was nervous and on the brink of tears at every moment, but he maintained a wonderful sense of humor, always trying to make me laugh and make me feel comfortable. There was a specific moment when something happened, and I'm embarrassed to say I had an accident on myself while I was prepping for surgery. I was almost too embarrassed to say anything to anyone, but something told me that I could trust Michael, and I called him over and told him what happened. He smiled at me and told me, "Hey, no worries, it happens," and he got me a fresh pair of clothes, a fresh sheet, and made sure to cover me all the way to the bathroom. 

He made sure that my dignity was never compromised in any way. I was mortified, and yet he made everything seem completely normal, and when I got back into the bed to re-prepare for surgery, there was just a little bit left on my leg, and he wiped it up to make sure that I was completely clean, comfortable, and ready to go. His care didn't end there, though. Hours after I was out of surgery and waking up, I had a few new nurses around me, making sure I was comfortable, but as I was coming to, there was Michael, who just wanted to come by to check on me really quickly to make sure everything had gone okay and to tell me that I looked great. I've been lucky enough to have wonderful experiences with my doctors, nurses, and surgeons at Vanderbilt, and Michael Ramirez really went above and beyond that day and left a lasting impression that I will never forget because he knew I didn't just need a nurse, I needed a friend. He was able to fill both of those shoes!