God works in many ways and being a cardiac ICU nurse, I’ve experienced many of his great miracles firsthand. One patient has stayed close to my heart during my years as a nurse. Amanda* was in her late 30s and was a frequent flyer to my ICU as she waited on a heart transplant. This story reflects her final stay in the unit when Amanda was called to the hospital to await the arrival of a new heart. I got very close with Amanda and her family, who was married and had an 8-year-old daughter. Children under 12 were not allowed in the ICU setting. I couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for her to be away from her husband and young daughter for her two-month hospitalization.
Though she was quite independent, Amanda and I spent a lot of time together, and I got to know Amanda and her likes and dislikes. Amanda was on a fluid restriction but loved grape juice, half frozen. Any time I took care of her, I would bring her grape juice at just the right temperature.
One day, while talking over grape juice, she expressed how her heart was physically at its end but also felt broken due to not being able to see her daughter. In that moment, I was present with her and listened. At the end of our conversation, I asked her if I could pray for her, for God’s will to bring a new heart into her life, for her family, and for perseverance as she continued to wait out her journey.
After we prayed, I went to my manager and expressed that we needed to come up with a way for Amanda to spend time with her daughter, apart from daily FaceTime calls. My manager allowed me to speak with Amanda’s heart failure doctor; the doctor agreed that Amanda could go outside the hospital to see her daughter, if she was not around too many people.
This was quite a challenge, but I was up for it and was determined to find a way to reunite Amanda and her daughter. Because this hospital also served a pediatric population, there was a playground on the roof. I went back to Amanda’s doctor with my plan of taking Amanda to the roof playground where she could meet her daughter. I assured her doctor I would stay with Amanda the entire time to monitor her. This plan ended up working, and Amanda and her daughter met on the roof playground weekly until Amanda’s heart transplant date started to approach.
On the first day on the roof playground, I watched the excitement on Amanda’s face. She was amazed to be physically in her daughter’s presence, and to watch her daughter play and be a child. Amanda came to me during that first playground “date” and thanked me. She shared how much she’d missed watching her daughter grow up because she had been in and out of the hospital so much. Amanda also expressed how grateful she was for Jesus placing me on her journey to a new heart. She said she would never forget the great lengths her healthcare team went to enable this plan to spend time with her child--and for all the half-frozen grape juices.
The day finally came when Amanda received her new heart. I remember the honor of praying with her and for her transplant team before surgery. Post-surgery, Amanda had a long recovery, but made sure to come back to the hospital to touch base and proudly show off her daughter. She let all the hospital staff know what a difference we made in her life.
Being the earthly hands and feet of Jesus is a gift. I pray nurses never forget that small acts of kindness can leave a lasting impact.
*Name changed for privacy
Jane Johns, RN, works in a cardiac intensive care unit.
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