Just before Christmas, a young female victim of sexual assault presented to the Emergency Department. She was seen by the night shift Forensic RN. Shelly Brown assumed care of the patient when she arrived for her day shift. Something about the patient's story did not sit well with Shelly. Using her expert nursing skill, Shelly worked with the patient to gain her trust. As her trust in Shelly increased, the patient's story began to unfold.
The patient had been abducted in early November and was on the FBI's missing person's list. She had been taken by a truck driver who held her captive for months. She was able to escape when she was left unattended in a local shopping area. The patient sought out local police to bring her to VCU. The patient was not forthcoming with the police.
Shelly was able to work with VCU PD and the FBI to locate the patient's family in Texas and to get her home. The next day, the FBI escorted the patient onto a plane back to Texas. Upon arrival at the airport there, the patient was reunited with her family, who had not seen her for over a month. A note that the patient left for Shelly really says it all - "I will never forget what you have done for me, Thank you."