Christan was outstanding, and that word really doesn’t begin to express how amazing she truly was for me. I was seen in the ER for depression and suicidal thoughts overnight. I have had a history of going through some pretty damaging trauma when it comes to previous hospitalizations for this problem, and to say that I was shaking with fear at the prospect of going through it again is an understatement.

The first thing I noticed about Christan is that she was so kind and friendly. That’s not someone you see often on an overnight shift, in my experience. She took the time to evaluate my need carefully and thoughtfully for inpatient care, and she even consulted with the doctor on call when she wanted to be extra sure she was making the right decision. Not only did she not re-traumatize me, but she also took great pains to be kind and relate to my life with stories of her own, and she made me feel that everything I felt was normal. Above all, she treated me like a person, not a number or a random patient that didn’t matter. I felt she truly cared for me even though she was a stranger to me. I have tears in my eyes as I write this.

I have never felt so cared for, so human, so normal. She quite literally helped to save my life and I’m so very grateful for her. This cold, hard world needs more people like Christan, more lights in the darkness. Please don’t ever let this one get away. She is a real diamond in the rough, and I have no doubt I’m not the only one who feels this way about her. THANK YOU!!