I was admitted to the hospital to replace a recently implanted pacemaker because the original pacemaker site was infected. After the new pacemaker was installed and working properly, the doctors removed the first pacemaker and closed the wound area with a vacuum patch to help heal the wound. Unfortunately, the wound started filling the canister on the vacuum with blood. Nurse Chelsea contacted the surgical staff while using her hand to apply pressure to the bleeding area. She had to hold the pressure for a considerable time since all the doctors were in the middle of performing procedures in the operating room. My hospital room was quite small, but it was soon filled with medical staff as they attempted to wheel my hospital bed out of the narrow doorway. The doorway was just big enough to squeeze my bed through the opening, with one attendant at the head of the bed and another attendant at the foot of the bed---with no room for Chelsea.  I believe she jumped onto the bed so she could continue to hold pressure to slow the bleeding and we flew down the hallway as I started to fade away. (I wish I could see a photo of that scene). Needless to say, the doctors and technicians did fix the problem with the wound, so I’m here to tell the story. But that’s not the end of the story.

At the end of her shift, Chelsea went back to my hospital room to see my wife and assure her that I was going to be all right. The next morning, Chelsea came to work early because she was assigned to a different area, but she took the time to come to my room to check on me just before heading to her duties. She told me she could barely sleep that night, thinking of what I went through. Tears were flowing from both of us and then off she went to help another poor soul. The next day, she was off, but attending a class in the hospital and still made the time to visit and see how I was doing.

All of the doctors, technicians, and nurses were fabulous, but this young woman went above and beyond, and I owe her my life. The doctors gave me a mechanical pacemaker to keep my old heart pumping properly----but Chelsea showed me, and gave me, what a real heart is like.