I would like to begin my story by thanking all of the "extraordinary staff" of professional doctors, nurses, and technicians, as well as housekeeping and food service workers at Memorial Hospital. They performed their duties with excellence along with a smile, a word of hope, or a promise of prayer. I can honestly say I have never had this kind of positive experience in any other hospital. I and my family thank God for all of them, and they are in our prayers as well.
If I could give each one of them an award of excellence, I would, but because I can't, I decided to choose one young man who went the "extra mile" to encourage me and my family.
Tyler was the nurse assigned to me when I was moved from ICU to the cardiac unit on the 6th floor. It was his professionalism, along with this wit and humor that took our minds off the difficult process of my recovery. He made time to check on me after his shifts were over and even checked on me during one of his days off. Now that is a dedicated, professional nurse if I have ever seen one! He was making sure I was doing okay. He always asked if there was anything he could do for us. I usually replied, "You can pray, son."
Tyler told us a story on his last visit about his deer hunting experience on one of his days off. He said it was a cold 30-degree morning and he had gone into the woods before dawn without his flashlight so as not to spook the deer. He then went on to describe how he climbed the deer stand and stood there for 4 hours looking like "the Michelin Man." While waiting for his prey to show up, he said he was praying for me. We all laughed as the vision of "the Michelin Man" came to mind, and I cried that he cared enough to pray for me.
Tyler didn't shoot a trophy deer on that frosty morning, but he won our hearts, and I and my family will be forever grateful to this unforgettable and incredibly gifted young man.