Our father was admitted to ICU at AdventHealth Castle Rock on Sunday, when it was discovered during a visit to the ER that he had a brain bleed. This was very unnerving for both my dad and his children, as four months to the day, he had lost his beloved wife and our mother to a brain bleed. The ICU team stepped up to the challenge and cared for Dad and us through their professionalism, compassion, and friendliness. They immediately worked to get his blood pressure under control and to reverse the effects of a blood thinner he was on. It was so comforting to see Dad respond well to their care and was able to be discharged to rehab by Wednesday. During his time in ICU, the nurses bent over backward to reassure Dad with hugs, jokes, laughter, and love.

He turned 90 while he was there, and the ICU team worked with us to make this special day upbeat and the best it could be in the ICU. They joined us in his room to sing “Happy Birthday” and share in birthday goodies. One nurse, who was not on duty the day of his birthday and went home after her shift on Monday, returned with a container of his favorite treat—chocolate ice cream and a birthday balloon. She had listened to Dad and had learned what he liked. Dad was in tears, and the rest of the team came in to see the interaction and share his joy. He (and his family) were so blessed by the gift of care, love, thoughtfulness, and hugs!

One morning, we discovered a hearing aid was missing, and the nurse on duty faithfully went through a huge bag of soiled linens, shaking out each one until it was found. Once again, Dad and the family sighed a big sigh of relief as we were already stressed to the full degree with this big change as we were going through with his health. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for caring for Dad as you did. We were blown away by the care he was given so we could get him on the road to recovery and back in his home. He is now home and once again thriving (with help from his family) and with minimal change in his mental and physical abilities. We had met “angels disguised as nurses” when we were with our beloved wife and Mother for a week in the hospital before she passed in October. It was such a relief once again to meet a “team of angels disguised as nurses” at AdventHealth in Castle Rock with our Dad. May you be blessed and honored knowing you are daily making a difference for good!