My son passed away this past December. He was in the neuro ICU for 7 days. The first part of that week was spent praying that he would be able to recover, however, it was determined that he was not coming back to us. My son was an organ donor, so the rest of the week was a whirlwind of activity while trying to get him matched with recipients. The hospital staff and donor team were wonderful to us during his stay, but there is one nurse who my husband and I would like to thank and recognize for the exceptional care she provided to my son. Her name is Cristen Leal.

Those last few days are a complete blur to me. Cristen was kind, patient, and comforting. She made it a bit easier to handle the worst week of our lives. There were a few family members who were not accepting of what was happening. Cristen answered all of their questions politely and respectfully, no matter how many times the same questions were asked. She never hesitated to give me a long hug, even when I had a runny nose from crying so hard. Cristen asked me about my son and would allow me to just talk and talk about him and his kind heart, love for animals, and whatever else came to mind.

Sunday was his last day. His surgery was scheduled for 9pm that night. At some point during that day, Cristen asked me a question. I thought that she asked if she could walk with us to the OR. I, of course, said “yes!” At 9pm she came back to his room dressed in OR scrubs. It was then that I realized that she was going back into the OR with my son. I can’t put into words how comforting it was to know that my son wouldn’t be going back there “alone.” I think that he would have felt safe knowing that she was there with him. I am thankful that Cristen was his nurse. She was a blessing to us, as I am sure that she has been…and will be for many others. Cristen, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!