I recently spent quite a bit of time as a patient at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. At 68 years old, I have never had any reason to be a hospital patient, and everything was very new and scary to me. The first part of my stay included some very painful therapy. Nate was my nurse for one weekend, and he made the whole awful experience bearable for me. He had unlimited patience and concern and everything he did and said was considerate and kind. His sense of humor kept me grounded and I loved bantering back and forth with him. It made things feel more "normal" for me. No matter who I talked to - and there were so many - everyone had the same experience as Nate. He is so very highly respected among his peers. I heard so many statements of respect from them - "he is a genius", "he should be a doctor", and "Isn't he wonderful?". Everything Nate did, he did with the utmost compassion. Regardless of whether it was "his job" or not, if you asked anything of him, he helped. It is hard to explain how much his treatment of me helped me get through a really tough time. His compassion, humor, consideration.......he was exemplary in every way. I am still thanking God that he was my nurse for that weekend - those few days seemed like they lasted a lifetime! He is exactly what every nurse should strive to be! Thank you.