When a Nurse’s Simple Act for My Daughter Became Unforgettable

Lei is a nurse at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. She works in the plastic surgery ward. I met her when my daughter underwent surgery in January of 2012. Due to some complications, my daughter, who was a neurosurgery patient, ended up in the plastic surgery ward for three months.

Lei went above and beyond what her job asked of her, what I asked of her. She is the type of nurse who I truly believe took us home with her. I believe she went to bed thinking about Harley and woke up with her name on her lips.

She introduced us to her daughter while we were there; her daughter had some special needs, so Lei got it. This is a very personal thing to share with someone you just met. I am not sure why she felt comfortable enough, and I don’t know why she did it, but I am sure she had a reason.

I found myself disappointed on the days she wasn’t working. I find myself thinking of her and her daughter even now, three years later. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about her, but I breathed easier when she was around. I trusted her with Harley. She was given a gift and is a gentle soul. I truly believe she does her job out of pure love. She was in our lives for a short time during a very lonely and dark period, and I don’t really think she understands what she did for us… for me.

I don’t know if she really understands the effect she has on her patients and their families, and I know she has no idea how much she helped me.

She did a simple act… she loved my daughter.