August 2022
Jeffrey
Finafrock
,
RN
9W
Riley Children's Hospital at IU Health
Indianapolis
,
IN
United States
Jeff arranged to take the patient outside to watch the downtown fireworks.
On the unit, there is a patient who has had a very tough year and catastrophic last 6-8months. This led the patient to begin dealing with depression, understandably so. Everyone on the unit has grown attached and has hated seeing their spirits so down and feel as though there is no hope. Jeff gave the patient the best day he has had in a very long time. After talking with and getting permission from the medical teams, Jeff arranged to take the patient outside to watch the downtown fireworks. When I learned of this it brought me to tears, because I knew how much they needed this. I felt his excitement and relief without even having talked to the patient about his experience yet. When I asked the patient about their adventure, they beamed with a light I had not seen in a very long time, this gave me chills. I don't believe Jeff knows how important that moment was, and that he truly gave them the best day they have had in months. This is what it's all about, being a light in someone's darkness and reigniting sparks in the children struggling to find their sparkle.