When it comes to professions that depend upon a worker giving everything they have to others, there are few that spring to mind quite so suddenly as nurses.
Nurses are there to look after us when we’re sick, hurt, dying or recovering. They’re there at the worst of times and have to make do with a brave face and a resilience that’s as inspiring as it is unfathomable.
Phillip Urtz, of Rome, New York, knows just how trying being a nurse is. His wife Jessica is a stroke nurse who treats and looks after others almost every day of her life. Phillip sees her when she comes home; he sees the toll the profession exacts on his partner, and the exhaustion she faces as a result …
Posted by Philip Urtz on Monday, October 7, 2013
Nevertheless, Jessica isn’t the type to complain. As Phillip told in an open letter to Facebook, his wife’s work is her life’s work, and her routine is one that would sap the energy from even the hardiest of people.
One evening, after Jessica had finished a 14-hour shift, she went home and tried to get some rest. After making herself a sandwich for dinner, she went to bed ready to face the next day with the same passion as always.
With his wife sleeping, Phillip decided to do something to honor her commitment. He wrote a lengthy Facebook post about Jessica’s daily rigours, and it’s since spread around the internet like wildfire.
Phillip’s post
“This is my wife Jessica having dinner after a 14 hour day. She comes home from work, has enough time to eat and get ready for bed and it’s back to work the next day for another shift,” he wrote on Facebook.
“She is up early to get ready for her day. She doesn’t like to be bothered in the morning and I respect that. She showers, throws her hair up, grabs her lunch gives the dog and me a kiss and heads out the door.
“At work she takes care of people who are having the worst days of their lives. Strokes, Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, falls, breaks, brain damage and more. She takes care of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends and families. It doesn’t matter who you are or what happened. She will take care of you.
“She works through lunch and rarely has time to sit. She comes home after 14 hours, takes off her shoes that have walked through blood and tears, and just wants to sit down. I don’t ask her about her day because She doesn’t like to talk about work when she is home and that’s fine.
“If she does want to talk, I will listen. Sometimes she comes home happy and sometime she comes home sad. But no matter how she feels, she is always on time for her next shift.
“I love her with all my heart. My wife is my hero. My wife is a Stroke Nurse.”
We know, Phillip’s letter is one that has the ability to move people to tears!
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