In January, our mother/wife/grandmother had emergency surgery and spent a few days in the ICU at Kaiser in Ontario, California. We were very grateful to her amazing day nurse, Luigi. He went above and beyond while caring for our mother.
Our mother has never been active, so the thought of any physical therapy, even while lying in bed was not something she wanted to do, especially given the high level of pain she was experiencing. However, Luigi was so kind, gentle, and encouraging that he was able to get her through her physical therapy successfully. He started slowly but was insistent that she could reach the goals he set for her. With each goal that she achieved, he increased the level of difficulty and encouraged her in a way we've never witnessed before in any hospital. His enthusiasm and genuine concern for her gave her the confidence and encouragement that she needed. She surprised us all and even surpassed the goals that were set for her. Luigi saw how hard she worked and that her mouth was quite dry from the efforts (but she was not yet able to drink water) that he rewarded her with a lemon-flavored swab that she lovingly named the "Luigi Lemon Lollipops."
When it was time for our mother to be moved to a regular room outside of ICU, she was happy until she realized that Luigi would not be going with her. To be honest, the entire family was sad about losing Luigi as her nurse.
Both our parents have had many surgeries and several overnight stays in the hospital and we have never seen a nurse more dedicated to his patients as Luigi. It is so difficult to have loved ones in the hospital, but nurses who truly love their job and their patients (and are caring to their patients' families as well) make all the difference during such tough times. Our mother has never liked being cared for by a male nurse, but Luigi definitely changed that for her.
Thank you, Luigi, for all your attention, kindness, and care!