One day in March, at approximately 2:30am my son, J, was involved in a single car accident on a remote road in Allen County. I received the dreaded phone call and immediately went to Parkview Regional Medical Center to meet the chaplain and see my son. J sustained several broken ribs, collapsed lung, broken clavicle, closed fracture to his lumbar, and a severe head injury. He was intubated and unconscious. I'm a Respiratory Therapist and have cared for patients in similar conditions but never thought I would one day see one of my children in this position. My Mom brain wanted to hold him, to make everything okay. My therapist brain wanted to evaluate everything that was going on. I knew too much and feared the worst.

We were told that a nurse found his overturned truck on her way to work and called 911. She provided medical care while waiting for first responders. As we sat watching the trauma doctor and nurses tend to my unconscious son, I asked if they could tell me who the nurse was who stopped to help him. The doctor said it was his nurse, Jen. Not only was Jen the person to find my son after his accident and care for him, but she was also now his bedside nurse caring for him in the STICU. How did we get so lucky to have Jen, an experienced STICU nurse, find J? Not only find him, but start giving him the critical care he required at the scene and to have her at my son's side during these very important hours? My only explanation is that God sent her as J's Guardian Angel. She was able to provide us with so much comfort as she answered questions and provided my son with amazing care and compassion. Jen eased both my mom and therapist's mind with her knowledge, sincerity, and compassion. She instantly clicked with J even though he was still unconscious.

Over the next couple of days, Jen was a true advocate for him. Whether she was his nurse or the charge nurse, Jen would do whatever she could to make sure my son had everything he needed and so much more. Jen was always there to lend an extra hand in getting J up to the chair and even walking in the hall. As our stay turned into weeks, she continually checked on J's progress, and provided comfort to us. Jen is truly one of the most professional, empathetic, compassionate, and skilled nurses I have ever seen in my 30 years healthcare career.

It has been five weeks, and J was just released from an inpatient rehabilitation center and is doing very well. We know that had Jen not found him in those early hours, this may have been a very different outcome. The fact that she not only found him but had the skill to care for him at the scene and in the hospital was amazing. The care and compassion she showed to J, and our family is truly a blessing.