I found my husband on the floor of the bedroom, barely breathing with a gray cast on his skin. I called 911, and they arrived in 10 minutes. They transported him to Advent/Waterman ER. They worked for almost 3 hours to stabilize him, but it was not looking good. Finally, around 3 pm, he was admitted to the ICU. We were given information by the staff that he was very critical and to contact our adult children. I was devastated; we were planning on celebrating our 30th anniversary this summer.

My sister, brother-in-law, stepson, and his wife, who live in Florida, had arrived at the ER and were with me the entire day. We discussed possible funeral arrangements and what we needed to do. I did not know at the time that an “angel” had arrived at 7 pm to care for my husband R. When I met this nurse, she was so kind and compassionate. I warned her that 3 of our adult children were nurses and that 2 of them were on their way from Michigan along with another son. She was so gracious and did not seem bothered by the fact. She mentioned that family is important and not to worry. That evening, I spent my time in the waiting room and would check on him occasionally. When I went back to the room, Aryam looked at me with a genuine smile and said that she had good news. She said that she called out R’s name, and he had turned his head towards her each time. I wasn’t sure what to think, but she seemed genuinely happy, and I will never forget the look on her face, even above the mask.

Originally, I planned to sleep in the waiting room, but Aryam gave me such peace that I felt confident enough to go home to sleep. This nurse had my husband for three nights in a row, which was thrilling for all of us. We had been concerned about his memory and thought process, but our angel was so engaging with him that he told me things that I didn’t know about her. That night he was transferred to a regular floor, she called me at home to tell me where he was and wished us well. He is now home recovering and getting stronger every day.

I imagine the ICU nurses get overlooked and are not recognized for their care. Their patients are critical and sedated, they have oxygen, IV tubes and are not aware of the care they get from the ICU nurses. Our experience with this nurse was different. She treated the entire family with kindness and compassion, as if she was caring for her own family member. She took the time to give me the number of the Charge Nurse if I had any questions or concerns. She gave us hope when things did not look good for R. She gave us hope when everyone prior to that had us prepare for the worst. Aryam genuinely cared and was excited about his progress. She made an impression on R. It is our wish that she be recognized for her efforts in caring for our husband, father, stepfather, and “Papa” to 16 grandchildren!