We should acknowledge and celebrate those who commit to 12+ hour shifts and navigate the demanding world of hospital life. Their work is far from easy, often involving challenging, gory, and emotional situations. When we come across individuals who not only show up but do so with a positive attitude, they deserve our recognition and appreciation, not harm.
The tragic death of ICU Nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota is heartbreaking. This outrageous event prompted me to reflect on the numerous nurses, doctors, technicians, and various hospital staff involved in my mom’s care. Some of them, angels on earth, whom I will forever be grateful to for their kindness and extra care they showed to my mom during her hospital stay.
Nurse Tasha, ER Nurse, took such good care of my mom despite being so busy running around handling the insane number of patients in the ER that evening. My mom arrived at the ER a little before 9pm on 1/4 but did not get moved into a room until 4:30pm on 1/5 (almost 20 hours later). She was admitted before 2am on 1/5 but the ER and hospital were at capacity with at least 8 people laying in bed in the open area without rooms. I saw a man getting an open head wound stitched up right in the walkway of the ER. My mom was lucky to have a room. Despite the chaos in the ER, Tasha was very kind and patient.
Hands down, Nurse Wene was my favorite night nurse. She was attentive to my mother, and worked really hard to keep her comfortable. I don’t know exactly how to explain the warmth I felt from her, but it felt special.
Nurse Gene from the surgery / procedure prep team was someone we had met prior to to this second hospital visit. He was one of the nurses that helped my mom when she had her paracentesis procedures at the end of 2025. He also exhibited compassion that felt genuine.
Dr. C, the Infection Disease doctor, was wonderful. He was thorough and aggressive when it came to treating my mom’s infection. He checked on her regularly, even late at night. He listened to our concerns regarding the pain she was feeling in the area around ribs, and I appreciated him checking her spleen (behind the ribs) to make sure infection had not settled there.
My mom had two general doctors during her stay. Dr. S and Dr. W. The experience between the two were night and day. I never got the feeling that the first doctor was really concerned about any of the symptoms my mom was experiencing, he seemed dismissive and ready to leave as soon as he walked in the room. Dr. W on the other hand, was amazing. She was wiling to listen to our concerns, address them, and take the time to explain. I was really happy when she took over my mom’s care.
Kerry, one of the hospital staff in surgery, helped my mom get a new bed after her surgery. Her bed was malfunctioning the evening before, and kept auto-calling the nurses. Maintenance was not able to remediate the night before, so the poor nurses had to deal with the constant calls from my mom’s bed. When I mentioned it to him, he made sure to grab her a new bed but even more kind was him taking the time to chat with me while I was waiting for my mom in the surgery waiting room the day she had her port removed. I was really feeling overwhelmed by everything, and just that little conversation brightened my day.
Donna, my mom’s case manager, who helped me navigate a 2 hour call with insurance and then get my mom squared away with her IV Antibiotics delivery and home health care (nurse, occupational therapist, & physical therapist).
I also came to know Kaden, a 19 year old, who cleaned my mom’s hospital room regularly and Jeremy the staff member from the kitchen who delivered my mom her food.
All of you matter, and all of you made a difference in our lives!
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