Certain people are extraordinary because of their strong desire to be of service. Luke is a great nurse and quite extraordinary. I arrived at the second floor of CRMC late in the evening on Monday after spending most of the day in the ER in this busy hospital.

After the trauma of falling in the tub and breaking my femur, it was good to be settled and ready for surgery the next day. I can’t remember the first moment I encountered Luke, the night nurse, but at that moment I knew I had met a friend. During traumatic events, we all become children again because of our loss of control and our lack of understanding about what is happening. Luke kept me apprised of everything, which is especially important to me, and was always especially careful regarding my pain. I did not feel the need to ask him to move my foot very slowly or to wait precious minutes while I myself moved especially slowly.

Luke was my nurse for at least three night-shifts, maybe four. I kept expecting to get discharged to rehab, so it was a joke between us each night he found me still in my room. Because he is so easy to talk to, we bonded easily. It is clear that Luke is meant to be in a demanding, caretaking profession. He has all the necessary qualities: compassion, intelligence, empathy, and a keen desire to be of service. I am so fortunate that he was my nurse.