Kevin was a member of the team caring for a young man with complex heart defects, post-op complications and a very unpredictable plan for treatment. S was faced with many painful and emergency procedures post op. He had to return to the CCCU multiple times for painful interventions and had lost his own confidence as well as the confidence in the team. He was afraid to be hopeful and afraid of his procedures failing. Kevin became part of S's team and became one of his consistent nurses. His excellent nursing skills helped keep S's pain managed and safe. That was the easy part. By working with S, helping him pick the parts of his day he could have control over Kevin helped S gain some control. Kevin used honesty, patience and more than anything, respect, for where S was at on any given day. He allowed S to be a little kid when he needed to be one, and he allowed the young man to regain control over his day when he was ready. He not only gave S back his courage, his faith in the team but he gave him back his confidence for recovery. They also had some serious fun. He did this while advocating for S to the team, and accomplished this while letting S's family maintain their goals for their son and for his recovery. This path wasn't quick or easy. Kevin was able to provide this for the young man and his family while acting as an example for other nurses who were a part of S's team. He gave S back his hope which is the greatest gift of all.
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When our 11-year old daughter suffered a sudden cardiac arrest we were shocked and devastated. The worst night of our lives brought us to the CCU at Sick Kids, not knowing if our daughter would survive, or if she did, what her physical and mental capacity would be. That horrific night we were blessed to be paired up with a magnificent nurse - Kevin Sequeira. Like most of the incredible nurses at Sick Kids, he treated our family with genuine compassion and kindness, and made us feel as comforted as possible. What stood out about Kevin was the way he treated our daughter. She was in a coma and on a breathing tube, yet you would have never known it by the way Kevin was talking to her and caring for her. He spoke to her each and every time as though she was going to give him a reply. He called her pet names like princess and sweetheart. During medical procedures (like suctioning her throat/lungs and changing her IVs), he was gentle and talked her through it all, even though she was still completely unconscious. When my daughter started to come around, the only people she reacted to were myself and Kevin. She followed his commands (cough, try to squeeze a finger, open your eyes), but only for Mom and Kevin, no other nurse was able to get a reaction. I truly believe that she was listening to him during the time he was with us and he made a connection. One week and one day later we were incredibly fortunate to be leaving Sick Kids with our daughter. A diagnosis of CPVT told us just how lucky we were to have her with us, as the lives of so many families have been shattered by this disease. The day we left we asked to see Kevin. He came up to the 4th floor after what was obviously a difficult shift in CCU. He was thrilled to see our beautiful daughter and told us it had been a hard day and she was just who he needed to see. We know Kevin was a huge part of her recovery, and of keeping our family in a good mental place while enduring the unknown of CCU - a light in our darkness. Our hearts will forever hold a special place for Kevin!