On our first day of vacation in Gatlinburg, my husband had sudden cardiac arrest while we were in a traffic jam. While my sister and brother-in-law took care of my four- and six-year-old children, I was faced with the horrific news that my husband would more than likely suffer from severe brain damage and never be himself again from lack of oxygen. My husband he was transferred to Parkwest from LeConte. Alone, and very far from home, I was beyond devastated and scared.

The staff in the critical care department here became our new family. I was told that my husband had a 5% chance of surviving without being, pretty much, a vegetable. He was not showing any signs of voluntary movements, and was non-responsive. We were more than 6 hours from home, I had just lost my mother and father a few months earlier and my 4-year-old had recently been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I honestly felt my world was crumbling around me. My husband pulled through, and was known as a miracle by many of the staff in the hospital. During our time here, we were fortunate enough to be taken care of by Michael Strickland.

Michael proved to be a fantastic and knowledgeable caregiver to my husband. Moreover, his ability to make me feel as supported as possible was top notch. He made sure I was comfortable, stayed on top of me about eating and taking care of myself and recognized me as a precious wife and mother. Without him, I found myself losing hope and thinking the worst. The ability he had to go above and beyond his call of duty as a nurse will never be forgotten by my husband and I. Michael even came to visit us when he was off duty, because he knew how alone and afraid we were. He brought us a gift to remember Knoxville by, and precious cards filled with encouraging words that brought tears to our eyes.

Nurses are a gift from God, for sure. Michael is a fantastic nurse with a heart of gold. He should be recognized for going the extra mile to make sure a young, scared couple who felt like their world was about to end felt as loved as possible during the lowest point in their lives hours from home. Michael is an example of the true definition of what a nurse should be.