On the night shift around 11 pm, we heard the announcement of pediatric code blue in ER. Everyone in the unit helped the charge nurse who was supposed to go and assist in this code and make sure she had all the needed emergency kits that she will need.  Within five minutes after she went, we knew that the case is a 2-year-old kid drowning in a swimming pool. We set up the team, did pre-briefing, and assigned the roles for each team member, and within five minutes everything was ready to receive him in our pediatric ICU.

Fortunately, this case was assigned to me, and I can't forget that I was stressed and anxious about this case and how critical it could be, and the huge work I will need to do alone! Especially on a day when we were short-staffed and the unit is full already and everyone was super busy doing their work. But my colleagues made me relaxed with their support by being there and offering help without waiting for me to ask them. The staff nurses helped me by caring for and stabilizing him in a very organized team manner. After we finished all the tasks for stabilizing him like central line Insertion, shock therapy, indwelling catheter insertion, respiratory support, medications, and infusions added to all the vital signs monitoring closely. Now only we let the family come and see their son.

And at that moment I was trying to control my feelings to the maximum extent after I saw the condition of the parents...they were in devastating shock, without their shoes, terrified and very afraid of the survival of their lovely son. In a time they were both crying, another time they were silent, and at another time they had a ton of questions about his condition. In such a difficult, heartbreaking moment of seeing the traumatized parents, we, the nurses in the pediatric ICU, need a lot of emotional stability and very strong empathy so we can take care of the parents as we just took care of their son. We couldn’t survive this alone, me, my colleagues who helped me in this case, couldn’t stay normal if we didn’t take care of each other in such situations. If we didn’t talk and express the tremendous feelings that we get after seeing the parents in that horrible situation.

M stayed with us in PICU for a month and three days. Days went slowly, in the parent's timing, and as usual, in our timing. We lived with their experience literally, day by day, hour by hour. And proudly I can say, we made a difference. The assurance and understanding we gave to these parents. The kindness and empathy, their moments of fear, and how we dealt with it. And their moments of sadness and how we let them express it and be comfortable doing so.

He developed some difficulties even after he was happily extubated and breathing on his own, he had difficulties in getting back to his normal, such as his ability to speak or respond after gradually weaning him from his sedation. He needed to learn everything from zero, talking, smiling, responding... Even eating and drinking. but thanks to God, his ability returned back with the whole team's work and parents' engagement. We celebrated both his discharge day and his birthday with the presence of his family and loved ones. M now is a healthy kid, able to smile, walk, and talk well according to his age. In the Quran, it is written "...whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” Thank you to all healthcare workers who have been working tirelessly on the front lines to save lives.