It's hard for me to put this into words, so please bear with me. Michelle is an amazing nurse. She really helped me get through a tough time.

She treated me as a human being, even though I couldn’t do much of anything, including talking. She took the time and made the effort to listen closely to me when my voice was literally just air (vocal cords weren’t touching at that point). Michelle was very reassuring through my panics and frustrations. She was always calm, not rushed, and thoughtful…. She felt more like a friend visiting than a nurse.

During the time that I was not sedated or on ECMO, I was really a hot mess. My emotions were all over the place. I was trying to figure out what happened, and what to expect going forward. I am also a trans man. She never misgendered me, even as she was dealing with my parts that didn't match my masculine presentation. She was very supportive and reassuring with delicate topics like catheters. Michelle never treated me as less than. Her manner and her treatment of me made it easier to stay present and focus on what needed to be done now in order to get better. I have no doubt that Michelle played a major part in my speedy recovery.