I took my father, age 93, to the emergency room on Christmas Eve. It turned out that he had the flu and he was admitted to the hospital. The very next day, Christmas Day, I took my mother, age 94, to the same emergency room and she too had the flu and was admitted. Timothy Baltisberger was my mother's emergency room nurse. He took the time to introduce himself to her and to me. He shook our hands and said it was an honor to assist us that night.
When Tim found out that my father had been admitted the day before, he made a concerted effort to ensure that my parents were on the same floor of the hospital, only one room apart. Consequently, my father was able to walk to my mother's room and cheer them both up by being together on Christmas. Tim had to make extra phone calls to make this happen and it was his idea to do so. My parents have been married for 70 years and this meant a great deal to them. I am confident that Tim's actions helped my parents recuperate and heal. They are now both back home together in their apartment. Thank you, Tim! To me, this is the very definition of compassion.