I’m a caregiver for an individual with Down Syndrome. I accompanied him to the emergency room as he had some symptoms going on that weren’t normal for him. Within a few minutes of arriving, Ronnie Gustafson knew he had a third-degree heart block and things happened very quickly. Ronnie could tell that I was starting to panic so he stopped what he was doing to explain what was going on in terms and movements that I could understand. When another group home staff member came in with us, he did the same thing for her.

All too often, as a caregiver, we are treated as insignificant. The fact that he took the time to make sure we understood was amazing. He was also great with CK. He answered all our questions and stayed in the room as much as possible and explained every test and procedure that he would be undergoing. Eventually, CK was transferred to St. Cloud and received an emergency pacemaker. I truly believe Ronnie helped save his life and we couldn’t be more grateful. He knew immediately what was wrong and how to go about fixing it. I’ve encountered a lot of nurses in my time working with CK and Ronnie was by far the best.