May 2026 Honoree
Michael T Nathan
My wife of 57 years, who is 75 years old, was admitted for AFIB. To say the least, the care she received from Michael was, in my opinion, worthy of the Congressional Medal of Honor. This was the first time in her life that she had ever been in the hospital for any reason other than giving birth to our two children. Her having AFIB came completely out of the blue and caught us totally by surprise.
During her ten-day stay, she was on the wildest ride you could believe. Everything was totally new and truly frightful, and neither she nor I knew which way to turn or think. And then there was the nurse, Michael. Not just his nursing professionalism, but his compassion and understanding of both our worries and concerns. He seemed to go out of his way, though it was most likely simply normal for him, in explaining what was happening and what we could and should expect. More than anything was his concern for my wife’s physical welfare and comfort. He also showed true concern for me.
As an example, during a procedure where a tube was passed through my wife’s nose and down her airway so her heart could be shocked back into a normal rhythm, somehow her throat or airway was nicked, and she started to bleed into her stomach. Then she started spitting up lots of blood—what seemed to me to be gallons of blood. As Michael helped the attending doctors and other nurses, he still had the time to take me into consideration. He asked me, while catching blood and attending to my wife, if I needed any help and whether I wanted to leave the room. I've seen enough blood in my life, so I stayed.
During my wife’s stay, Michael became like one of my older brothers, someone I could turn to during times of stress or turmoil. He was a source of strength. He was like a rock, making an outstanding impression on both my wife and me.
As I said, with all respect, Michael was and is worthy of the Congressional Medal of Honor, both as a person and as a nurse.
During her ten-day stay, she was on the wildest ride you could believe. Everything was totally new and truly frightful, and neither she nor I knew which way to turn or think. And then there was the nurse, Michael. Not just his nursing professionalism, but his compassion and understanding of both our worries and concerns. He seemed to go out of his way, though it was most likely simply normal for him, in explaining what was happening and what we could and should expect. More than anything was his concern for my wife’s physical welfare and comfort. He also showed true concern for me.
As an example, during a procedure where a tube was passed through my wife’s nose and down her airway so her heart could be shocked back into a normal rhythm, somehow her throat or airway was nicked, and she started to bleed into her stomach. Then she started spitting up lots of blood—what seemed to me to be gallons of blood. As Michael helped the attending doctors and other nurses, he still had the time to take me into consideration. He asked me, while catching blood and attending to my wife, if I needed any help and whether I wanted to leave the room. I've seen enough blood in my life, so I stayed.
During my wife’s stay, Michael became like one of my older brothers, someone I could turn to during times of stress or turmoil. He was a source of strength. He was like a rock, making an outstanding impression on both my wife and me.
As I said, with all respect, Michael was and is worthy of the Congressional Medal of Honor, both as a person and as a nurse.
Thank you, Michael, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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