Michelle and her colleague performed acts of kindness that astonished all my friends who appreciate the new IU Health Hospital here in Bloomington, Indiana, and me.

First, a bit of background.

In the [neighborhood] in Bloomington, I managed to have a serious bike accident with a shattered helmet, hematoma, and broken pelvis, resulting in two nights in the hospital.  In the process, I lost both of my hearing aids.

My nurse listened to the tale of my adventure, and in passing, I mentioned that they should speak loudly, as I had lost my hearing aids in the accident. Without a moment’s hesitation, my nurse responded, “I’ll go find your hearing aids.” I laughed and thanked them for the thought.

They continued to ask me about the details of the fall. Taking out their phone, my nurse insisted that I show them exactly where I fell, next to the tennis courts in Sycamore Knolls. That evening, my nurse spent an hour on hands and knees near the tennis court looking for my hearing aids, a simply marvelous and completely unsolicited gesture on their part. For that alone, they deserve the DAISY Award, in my view.

The story goes on.

The next day, this nurse talked to my other nurse about my dilemma. Now this second nurse solicited the help of their mother, and the two of them returned to the accident site and spent another two hours looking for my lost hearing aids.

While the aids have managed to remain undiscovered, I have been the beneficiary of a wonderful lesson in human kindness. IU Health employees are outstanding individuals, many of whom deserve the DAISY Award. I bring to your attention two magnificent human beings who illustrate this capacity for care, care that we so badly need in our lives.