We had a young 26 yr old patient with a new diagnosis of leukemia, but she was so overwhelmed and depressed and scared that she stopped eating and was too thin for her next chemo. The plan was to insert a feeding tube and essentially force her nutrition. I talked to a resident and we said we should not do that, but try to let her manager her fears and take control. She just needs someone to help her see her way through. The problem was she was too afraid to eat anything or even try. She had been curled up in her bed for days.

LPN Mario Lucero worked with this patient today and by the end of the day he had taken her to the cafeteria where he bought her a subway sandwich, which she devoured, and by the end of the day she was a new person, greeting staff and meeting all her calorie goals in that single meal. It was great!

It was an amazing lesson for us doctors, on how powerful a caring nurse can be. I doubt if anything that Mario did fell under his job description, but everything he did was exactly what this patient needed, and we are so grateful for his intervention!