On September 4 a 30 year old female with a small child, was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain and jaundice. She reported that she has had pain for more than 3 months and has not been able to eat or drink anything without feeling sick. After evaluation, she was found to have stones in her gallbladder and a dilated duct.

Upon entering the Endo/IR recovery area, she had already been "through the ringer." She had been in the hospital for too many days, her fuse was very short, and she terribly missed home and her baby. She woke up in recovery only to find her ERCP was not successful; after much sedation they aborted the procedure because she could not tolerate it. They then explained to her and her husband that she would have to stay the night and go through this again tomorrow under general anesthesia. She was of course not thrilled as she could still not eat or drink anything, and she still had pain with no answers. She came back to the recovery area the next day where we did her preoperative paperwork and assessment. She went under general anesthesia where the ERCP was this time successful; they were able to remove the stones and placed a stent. This is where she and Chris Chumley first met.

She woke in the recovery department and for the first time all week she had good news from the physician. Dr. T explained to her and her husband that her pain should start to resolve and the best news of all was that she could have whatever she wanted to drink; she just needed to listen to her body of what she thought she could tolerate. She immediately told Chris she wanted a Mountain Dew. Chris explained that this hospital was a Coke-Cola facility. Over the time they spent in recovery, Chris and her patient bonded over the fact that they both loved Mountain Dew. Chris got the approval from Dr. T and surprised Callie with a Mountain Dew that he had brought from home for his lunch. They shared the Mountain Dew together and she was so excited to finally get what she had been waiting for.

Weeks went by and she had to come back as an outpatient for a follow up procedure in the Endoscopy area. As soon as she arrived, she asked me where her Mountain Dew friend was. Of course, I knew because Chris is always talking about Mountain Dew and how much he loves the drink. She went on and on about the previous experience and how great Chris was as a nurse and supporter of her in her time of need. During recovery she woke up again to her friend, Chris, and of course he had a Mountain Dew ready and waiting for her. The next day she came back to the hospital, missing Chris because of his day off, she delivered a note and Mountain Dew for him.

This may seem like such a small act, but if you speak to the patient or her husband, you would see that this little act of kindness made a huge impact on her experience at our hospital. The hospital went from a bunch of physicians and nurses to a place of friends in their minds, and this small act of kindness made a lasting impression.

Chris is an exceptional nurse that goes out of his way to personalize the experience and form a relationship with each and every one of his patients. Chris is a shining example of our Franciscan mission and values, a role model for other and someone that always strives to make a difference for those around him. He is a compassionate caregiver and there isn't a request too big or too small that Chris won't work to meet, or seek out resources that can meet his patient's needs. Offering his prized lunch beverage to his patient is only one example of what he does every day without thinking twice to make sure his patients feel genuinely loved and cared for, and why he stands out to all his patients as someone who makes a difference.