There is no doubt in my mind that Bill was an angel sent to our family to help us through a sudden and difficult time. He not only demonstrated skilled nursing care but incredible compassion while caring for our family at Mercy Fairfield Hospital. My mother-in-law from Las Vegas came for a visit for my daughter’s graduation party and was suddenly hospitalized for 11 days. Caring for her became the sole responsibility of my husband and me when my sister-in-law had to fly back to Las Vegas several days later.

It was unclear in the beginning how serious my mother-in-law’s condition was and how much care she would need. Needless to say, it was a very stressful time figuring out everything that needed to be done and we did our best to care for her in every way possible. Two days before her transfer to a nursing facility for rehab care, I met Bill. My daughter and I noticed right away that he took great care of my mother-in-law and was incredibly patient with her. We had met many nurses during her stay in the hospital and so I did not really think more of it, until the next day.

The stress of caring for a loved one, especially one who lives across the country and then suddenly becomes sick while visiting, affects each of us in different ways. My husband awoke that next morning with an irregular and erratic heartbeat, and my son and I had to rush him to the hospital. He was admitted to the 3rd floor of Mercy Fairfield Hospital to undergo lots of tests to determine what was wrong. I was pleasantly surprised to walk into my husband’s room and see that nursing caring for him was Bill! Yes, the same Bill that had taken care of my mother-in-law the day before! It was a strange moment of calm and relief to see his smile and familiar face!! I introduced him to my husband and my son, and we began to joke that he had practically met the whole family!

My husband went through many tests that day, and I went back and forth between the two floors of the hospital tending to my mother-in-law and anxiously waiting to find out how my husband was doing. Bill knew that and because he had cared for my mother-in-law and was now caring for my husband, he understood our family’s situation in a way that no one else did. He made things simple and easy for me to understand with the care of both my mother-in-law and husband, He was as patient and caring with me as he was with them. He gained our trust and confidence in a short amount of time, and I began to realize during this stressful time that I could count on him.

At one particular moment, when they rushed my husband to a cardiac procedure and I did not understand what was going on, Bill was the calm that got me through. Bill could see the terror in my eyes and he took the moment to, once again, explain to me, simply and concisely, what was going on and offer reassurance. I cannot say that in that frightening moment, even after Bill so patiently explained it 3 times, that I completely understood all of what was going on, but I knew that I could trust Bill. My heart knew at that moment that I had to. I reached for Bill’s hand as they took my husband away for the cardiac procedure and, for a brief moment, I felt comfort instead of terror.

After the procedure, the news was as good as we could have hoped for. And although not everything was going to go back to “normal” for us, Bill continued to take great care of us and patiently explained what lay ahead. When they wanted an overnight stay for my husband, our hearts sank. I began to struggle with the thought of my husband not being there, especially since the next day I had an appointment with my oncologist.

You see, I have been recently diagnosed with ITP and my husband has not missed any of my appointments. We have always been there for each other and I could simply not imagine, at that point, how much more I could handle. Bill could see our struggle. He talked with us and he talked with me about my ITP. He reassured my husband and me and said he would do all that he could for us, that he was there to see us through this. I trusted Bill and so, once again, in a moment of discouragement and pain, I felt comfort. Several hours later, I was totally relieved when Bill said he was able to work out that my husband could go home with me and that he would be able to be at my oncologist appointment with me the next morning! Bill took the time to go through every single page of the discharge paperwork and did not rush anything until I understood all that he had said.

At one point, we noticed his shift had ended more than half an hour ago and we commented on that to him. He replied to us, “I told you I would see you all through this!” I simply cannot express how grateful I am that we were blessed with Bill Toole as the nurse that cared for both my mother-in-law and my husband! I can only explain it as a blessing from God that he sent to me an angel in Bill through that very stressful time for me. I am grateful for his competent nursing skills, his tremendous patience with a very stressed and scared wife and daughter-in-law, but, more importantly, for his care and compassion as a human being. Bill saw a frightened human being and reached out with care and compassion. I am grateful that our nurse, Bill, is someone that I could trust and reach out to during one of the most terrifying moments of my life. He read my nonverbal cues when I was trying to hold it all together and responded with more care and compassion than I ever thought I could receive.

Bill took great care of my mother-in-law while she was at Mercy Fairfield Hospital! Bill took great care of my husband while he was at Mercy Fairfield Hospital at the same time! More importantly, Bill took amazing care of our whole family and for that, I am eternally grateful. He turned a negative experience into a positive one for our whole family. Thank you, Bill, for making all of the difference in our family’s lives during this difficult time!