I was very ill and in the most pain I have ever had and unable to take anything at all for pain. I was literally praying for the pain to go away and for God to send me an angel to help me make it through the night. Within 5 minutes of my prayer, Gretchen walked into my room, held my hand, and told me that I wasn’t alone in my fight and that she was going to get me through the worst night of my entire life. She was the most compassionate, gentle, knowledgeable, and sweetest nurse that I have ever had. I have had 13 major surgeries throughout my life and experienced several hospitals and numerous nurses. Gretchen stands out from every single one of them. She treated me like a human and not a number as I had been. Even though the hospital was extremely short-staffed, Gretchen never complained about how busy and overworked she was. She listened to me, gave suggestions of what might help me to be more comfortable, and treated me as a family member. Not once did she make me feel like a number. I have never had anyone show such compassion and caring. I was throwing up a lot and the antinausea did not help, she helped pull my hair out of the way and gave me a wet cloth to put on my forehead. It hurt so bad to even move let alone get up to use the toilet, not to mention that every movement I made would cause vomiting. She got me a Pure wick machine that made all the difference in the world to me. She was so in tune with exactly what I needed. She changed my attitude from giving up during the worst night of my entire life, to waiting to fight and get better. I could go on forever about how perfect of a nurse this young woman is. She gave me the best care I have ever had from any nurse and is the most compassionate person that I have ever met. To help get my mind off the pain and situation that I was in, she engaged me in conversation so we could get to know each other as human beings and not just as a masked nurse with one of her patients. I wish I could have had her for my entire stay, but she told me she was a float and didn’t know where she would be working the next night. She gave me comfort at a time when I needed it the most and didn’t think it was possible. That night has changed me forever and has convinced me that God does answer prayers. I now can say that I have met an angel on earth. Please let Gretchen know just how appreciated she is. She makes an incredible difference in this world. She would be an excellent teacher/mentor for new nurses to learn how to compassionately treat and be in tune with their patients.