“A big round of applause goes to all the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who are working around the clock at hospitals and medical centers around the globe. They are the True Heroes of the World. They are leading from the front and are battling this dreaded disease, the COVID 19, head-on.

At a great risk to their lives, they are working tirelessly for the good and safety of others. They truly deserve to be recognized and appreciated for their incredible ongoing efforts.

God bless them and their families. ”
― Avijeet Das     Medical Professionals

Several posts back I wrote “A Day of Appreciation” celebrating the nurses who work tirelessly at all hospitals.

For this post I would like to tell you about some great doctors and nurses I interacted with at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario.  I am not trying to receive sympathy, just shining a light on some great people.

It was the holiday season of 1999 when I received word that my mother had taken ill and was transported to the hospital in London, Ontario.  That if I wanted to see her I would have to hurry before she passes away.

I made several phone calls to help find the money to take a bus from Saskatchewan, Canada to the Windsor area.  The trip would take about seventy-four hours.

I packed a suitcase and headed to the bus station, bought my ticket and boarded the bus.  Wednesday arrived while I was on the bus, I looked down at my watch and thought, “well mom is gone now”.

After a stop in Toronto, Ontario to catch a night of proper sleep, I again boarded a bus for the final hours of my trip.  I arrived and spent a couple of days with family to get caught up on the situation. 

Then was taken to London to see my mother.  No one had prepared for what I was about to see.  She was in an induced comma, lying in the hospital bed with that thin silver blanket over her.  I looked at her and could not believe how she looked.  She was three times her normal size.  What brought her this place was a severe flu which she couldn’t handle because of her body was weakened earlier that year with a stroke.

I had to leave the room for everything started to get bright and I felt flushed.  As I walked out into the hallway I felt a sudden push against my knees causing me to sit down.  It was a nurse who saw me and told me she knew I was about to faint.  Hero number one!

January came and went and soon the calendar turned to February.  About a week and a half into the month a doctor caught me and said he needed to talk to me and the family.  I found a phone booth to call to relay the message that if they wanted to see her alive one more time they needed to come quickly.

Eventually my brother and one uncle, mom’s brother, showed up.  We were shown into a conference room, we take our seats and the doctor begins to explain her condition. Hero number two.  He said that her lungs looked like the bubble wrap that is used to wrap dishes.  They were pressing against her heart.  They tried to move her for x-rays but each time she would go into cardiac arrest.  Finally, he tells us there is no more they can do, we decided to have her taken off all support the next morning.

Now for all the rest of the heroes in this moment.  They moved her to a small bed, all tubes and wires disconnected.  Exactly at ten in the morning they turned off the rest of the supports.  She passed away quietly, never waking up.

There were several nurses along with the doctor there with us.  As I turned to leave I caught all of the nurses tears flowing down their faces and saying my mother’s name telling her good bye.

If by chance you are a nurse reading this, this one man gives you a big salute for your dedication and tirelessly working to make all lives under your care feel less frightened!

THANK YOU, GOD BLESS ALL NURSES AND DOCTORS!