My husband was in the ICU with what started out as a UTI, but the infection spread into his bloodstream. On top of that, he developed bilateral pneumonia, which completely filled his lungs. He was heavily sedated and on a ventilator for a couple of days and eventually weaned to a nasal cannula.
Late afternoon on May 28th, we were going to have a birthday party in the waiting room for my son, who was turning twelve that day. I felt I could not leave the hospital, but I wanted my son to have some sort of celebration, so as not to neglect or overlook his special day.
After the five o’clock visiting hours were over, I told my husband we had a cake for our son and we (the family) were going to have a small birthday party in the waiting room. I told him I would bring him some cake back. He told me, with tears in his eyes, to take a picture for him, since he couldn’t be there. I went back to the waiting room to set up. We were singing, “Happy Birthday,” when I heard Noah say, “Mom, look behind you.” I turned around and saw Steve sitting in a wheelchair with his monitor box in his lap and a very special nurse wheeling him to the party. I had tears in my eyes as I told my husband that it was time to take him back. I am sure our nurse was trying to get home to her family too. He said, “Yes, I know, but she said, “What’s five minutes?” We will never forget Kim Porter’s kindness and compassion. My son told me that this was his best birthday ever.