Tracy Bergstedt, RN

Twelve years ago, at age 55, a life-changing event took place. I fell off my deer hunting stand and broke 13 bones. I sustained a T5/T6 spinal cord injury, which rendered me a paraplegic. After two years of recovery, I returned to light office work with my former employer. After two years, I could no longer take all the sitting, and so I retired. Ten years later, I ended up in the hospital with a bad UTI and pressure sore. After a few stops, I ended up at Mercy Hospital with Tracy B. as my nurse. This nurse has shown me empathy and encouragement like no nurse ever has. She has tolerated my cranky moods. In my better moods, her professionalism as a caregiver pushed me onward during a difficult time. Tracy took so much interest in my situation that my wife and I felt truly blessed. She is a fantastic representative of her profession and truly an asset to Mercy Hospital. I had many nurses on this journey, and none have shown me the way forward as Tracy has.