September 2024
Sara
Verduzco
,
BSN, RN
3S - Transplant
Mayo Clinic in Florida
Jacksonville
,
FL
United States
She came to me, wanted to know how I was, and offered to help me in any way she could. I really needed a place to be alone. I did not want to fall apart in front of my sick husband. She understood this.
My husband has been a patient for over 120 days over the course of this year, receiving a transplant, rejection treatment and finally a re-transplant. Of many excellent nurses, there are some who rise above others as they do exceptional things for their patients. One of them is Sara. She executes her job with precision and great aptitude. But she goes beyond this. When my husband spent days in the ICU, she came to find him to check on him. She missed him being on her floor and took it upon herself to find him to make sure he was progressing. This is not the only time she went out of her way for us. I was facing a particularly difficult moment as I had found some very distressing lab work results in the patient portal. Sara noticed that I appeared to be in distress. She came to me, wanted to know how I was, and offered to help me in any way she could. I really needed a place to be alone. I did not want to fall apart in front of my sick husband. She understood this. She swooped me up and found a quiet, safe, empty space for me. I spent an hour in that room, crying, praying, and receiving silence. It was a turning point for me and my own mental health. She didn't have to check on me. She did that, and always continued to be sensitive to both of us and what we were facing. Sara is a wonderful nurse and a wonderful person. Compassion is just as important to Sara as any medical expertise in which she excels. We are so grateful.