In 2023 my mom found my older sister passed away in her bed at the age of 55.  Two days later it was discovered that my mom was suffering from a STEMI as a result of already existing coronary disease issues and the shock of losing her daughter. After a successful emergency surgery in the Abbott ED, she was admitted to Abbott hospital in unit H5200, where she was lucky enough to have Laura as her nurse.    

I cannot speak highly enough about the difference that she made for my entire family, but especially for my mom during her stay.  Although my mom was the patient, she did an outstanding job caring for all of us who were there.  She answered questions, explained things when we needed it, and quickly followed up when she didn't know the answers.  Laura took the time to not only take care of my mom's physical condition but also to help ease her mental condition as well. She showed up with a gentle approach, a smile, and consistently provided comfort in any way that she could.  She listened to my mom's stories and told stories of her own, shared pictures of her family and pets, consoled my mom as she wept tears over losing her daughter and the huge life scare that she experienced, and prayed with her throughout her stay.    

Laura treated my mom like her own family and demonstrated a level of care that anyone would want their family to receive.  It was one of the most stressful and tragic times in the lives of most of our family, and the care that all of Allina staff, but especially Laura, provided brought much peace when little peace could be found.

Fast forward 11 months, and my mom is back at Abbott, having another stent put in.  She and the family are concerned and stressed, knowing that she was high risk and that the doctors experienced some significant challenges last time.  After the stent was successfully placed (due to the incredible Cardiology team), she was admitted again for overnight monitoring.  

She was once again placed in the H5200 unit, and Laura was her nurse.  I remembered her from our last stay, and after a day of high stress, was immediately overcome with a sense of peace knowing that Laura would be caring for my mom once again.   When my mom woke up in her room after the procedure, Laura was there, and my mom recognized her right away.  As soon as she saw Laura, she burst into tears, saying, "I remember you! You prayed with me last time I was here".  

Laura remembered her as well and immediately gave her a hug.  I cannot put into words the difference that her kindness and gentle, caring approach made for all of us once again.  My mom was terrified leading up to the day of the surgery and even after, sitting in her room.  Knowing Laura was there to care for her brought an immediate sense of comfort.  We all knew that she was in wonderful hands and would be cared for better than any of us could ask.  Throughout the night, my mom was able to get the much-needed rest she needed, and Laura provided updates to the family when we called to see how she was doing.  We all slept better that night knowing that my mom was in excellent hands. We are all so thankful for the outstanding care that Laura provided to all of us.   She was nothing short of spectacular and we couldn't have asked for a better care giver.