My darling 80-year-old husband was in this unit for a relatively short time. The entire staff was very attentive and concerned. Deep in my heart was and will remain a nurse named Mina Choi. Thank you, dear Mina. Mina is a gifted palliative care-giver. She demonstrated an ability to provide comfort to our family’s situation, present at the passing of my husband, in an unassuming yet incredibly thoughtful manner. Upon learning of the musical preference of my husband, who, though sedated and on a ventilator, may have been capable of hearing, nurse Mina effortlessly found the perfect music. In the final sequence of events, she managed a semi-chaotic scene with grace, implementing the authorized end of ventilation in a professional and proper manner. She never lost sight of the central concern- my husband's peaceful and honorable exit from the stage of the world. Yet she announced that fact and hugged me in a way that also comforted the surviving family.

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When you think of everything a nurse should be, it is Mina Choi you are thinking of. My father spent just over a month in the ICU. He was on ECMO and sedated through most of this stay. When Mina cared for my father, she cared for him as if he was her own father. While providing care, she would hum. When my father was taken off of his sedation meds, I would ask what he remembered. He distinctly remembered Mina’s humming, matching her voice with the humming when she came to say goodbye to him. I was so taken aback that he could remember humming while on sedation. One thing that terrified me was how much he would remember his stay and whether he was scared while sedated. When talking about his experience, my dad told me, “I don’t remember much, but I remember humming. It helped me not be scared.” Mina is a true light in the darkness, and we are forever grateful for her care. “I know there’s gonna be some brighter days” is now our theme song.