May 2022
Hillary
DiMercurio
,
RN
NSICU
Grandview Medical Center
Birmingham
,
AL
United States
She brought us a cart full of snacks and drinks and would constantly check-in to see if we needed anything.
Hillary is a one-of-a-kind human. She was there for my family when we were at Grandview Hospital through every turn that came our way, and, trust me, it was a roller coaster of emotions. When we arrived, we were under the impression my dad was going to need rehab, and he would be okay with few residual issues. We learned quickly that was not the case. To begin with, Hillary was very knowledgeable about everything going on inside my dad’s room. A monitor would go off, and she would respond instantly and know exactly what happened and how to fix it. We showed her a video of when my dad’s stroke symptoms took a turn for the worse, and she knew instantly what happened. She was able to not only do her job of working the floor in a Neuro ICU but also verbally explain what she was doing and why every step of the way. When we found out my dad wasn’t going to wake up, she was there. Emotionally and physically. She comforted our entire family, and there was a lot of us at the time. We were there from sun up to way past sundown. That didn’t keep Hillary from coming into the room and checking on not only the patient, my dad, but also the entire family. She brought us a cart full of snacks and drinks and would constantly check-in to see if we needed anything. She gave us true heartfelt support. We asked if she didn’t mind cleaning up my dad because it had been a few days, and without hesitation, she grabbed a few other nurses and said, “what music does he like to listen to? We will play it for him while we clean him up.” She not once even thought, “he’s on a vent, he has a few hours left, why would I do that?” She just jumped right up and took care of it. My dad was stubborn and wouldn’t allow anyone to cut his hair except for my mom. So, the day we were going to take the vent out, my mom showed up with some scissors and was going to cut his hair. Once again, without hesitation, Hillary grabbed some towels, held his head, and helped my mom trim his hair. Even though my dad was not going to make it, she still treated him as if he were awake and with the most genuine respect. Fast forward to the day we were going to remove the vent and my dad was going to give the selfless gift of organ donation, Hillary was there. Even though the time was pushed back, and she was technically supposed to be off work, Hillary was still there. She walked with us and comforted us; she never left our side. Now to present time, my dad has been laid to rest. It’s been a little over a month. I get a message from Hillary. She had found a picture of my dad that we had accidentally left at the hospital. An entire month ago. And she immediately asked if I would like her to mail it to me. We had not known Hillary prior to my dad’s admission to Grandview hospital, but since then, we will never forget her. I can speak for my entire family when I say, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for everything. This award is very well earned, and your hard work and dedication to your job does not go unnoticed. Congratulations, you deserve every bit of recognition!