We had a patient admitted as John Doe, and we could not identify him despite multiple attempts. Both of these nurses, Ben and Jacquie, went above and beyond to find family, friends, or anyone who knew this young man to help identify him.

Unfortunately, the patient was brain dead early in his admission and on a ventilator, making finding anyone that knew him extremely important. Jacquie suggested getting the police department involved, and they were able to come fingerprint the patient and identify him. We were then able to find family, including his brother and mother. His mother came all the way from Puerto Rico to be with him.

Eventually, this patient became an organ donor and was able to donate multiple organs. When we did an honor walk for this patient, his brother gave a really impactful speech. He repeated how thankful he was that the nurses were able to find their family and that he was able to say goodbye to his brother. He said, "Nobody is just a John Doe. They have family, friends, or someone. He was a brother, a son, a father. He was not a John Doe."

Without the collaborative efforts of Ben and Jacquie, this family would never have known about where their sibling and son were. They never would have been able to know what happened to their loved one or say goodbye. Because of them, this patient was able to save other lives, and the family had closure with dignity for their loved one.