I could write a book about this man. Stephen gave us hope when there seemed to be none. In the days following my son's intubation, Stephen offered words of encouragement, explained things in plain English as to what was going on and showed pure concern about the whole situation at hand.
I only recall him being my son's actual nurse once, but he was there every day to offer assistance in some form. I watched him coach and mentor the other nurses, some of whom had a longer string of letters after the RN on their badges.
He's the person who unknowingly gives out life lessons. Stephen helped me personally by reminding me that I needed to take care of myself, in order to continue to be there for my son. It was his encouragement that sent me home to rest, instead of wearing myself out in a chair that didn't like me, or I it.
He brought in a special chair "Big Blue", to accommodate therapy... We upgraded beds twice to make my child comfortable. I like to say we went from a Pinto to a Cadillac. I'd like to think these were his suggestions as well.
Stephen also acknowledged the family on his off time as well. We ran into him in the cafeteria one day, and he made a point to stop and speak to us and encourage us.
My son has a recollection of many conversations with Stephen, some of which contribute to his desire to be a healthier and more determined person.
I was not there the day he went from ICU to the 6th floor, so I didn't get to say thank you or goodbye, but what has stuck with me most was a "speech" he gave the first day after extubation...
"Ok Big Boy...We have helped you the best we can...You woke up...Now is the time to show us how you man up and help yourself... See this thing here? This is a suction, when you cough up something, grab this and suck it out of your mouth."
My son slowly reached for the suction and took his first step towards recovery. What was once a slow and wishful process has turned to a fast-paced road to recovery.
Mr. Hanes, I salute you, you are our Angel of Hope at CHRISTUS St. Michael.