Nurse Renee Hendrix... and all the Nurses around you #AtoZChallenge

Nurse Renee Hendrix had worked in the dreaded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at WellStar Kennestone Hospital since 1982. So she was happy to be called in by Kleenex to star in an ad celebrating neonatal nurses day.

Having completed the interview, Renee returned back to her routine only to be called back in the evening because of a technical glitch during the interview, requiring she do it all over again. Patience being a virtue of her job, she dutifully returned to the building. But this time, she was made to sit down and watch a video.

The video featured parents of babies Renee had cared for over the years in the NICU. They thanked her for saving their children's lives, for being there for them in their worst, most vulnerable moments and for loving their child as her own. They spoke of her kindness and love and how she had saved their infant multiple times during the dreaded NICU period.

“You are our hero.”

“There are not enough words to thank you for what you’ve done.”

As the breast cancer survivor struggled to hold back tears, the doors opened and she looked up to find parents and children walking into the room. 

 Each child held a photo of themselves in the ICU in their hand. Each and every one of the children and even teenagers in that room had been cared for by Renee Hendrix during critical periods of the first days of their lives. They were all alive and in that room because of her.

"We don’t realize what an impact we have on families until we see something like that. It was very rewarding... I love those babies like they were my own. I was so honored that people would stop what they were doing and come to be there for me. It was great to see all of the kids big and healthy and thriving. I definitely felt appreciated and loved. I was just so proud of them. To know I had a part in that was very overwhelming and gratifying."

- Renee Hendrix

The theme of the ad - "If there’s someone who made a difference in your life, show them.”

Why I want you to remember nurses across the world

Being a nurse is no child's play. I have nearly two decades in the medical field as an anaesthesiologist but I would never be able to do nurse Renee's job without breaking down emotionally in the face of so many vulnerable and dying young souls over so many years.

To often be made to work extra shifts for a pitiable pay; to come face to face with the mortality of patients you have grown fond of; to put yourself at risk of a hundred communicable diseases; to make sure your attention never wavers as you balance the whims of doctors with the tirades of worried & harried patient relatives who treat you as lesser beings - you need to have a heart of steel that is still capable of humanity and love. Understand how hard their job actually is instead of belittling them.

When you are in the hospital, choose to be grateful to your nurse. Offer a kind word and a smile. It means nothing to you but just knowing that people appreciate the effort they put in and understand the odds they are up against is enough to brighten the spirits of the wonderful men and women who truly form the backbone of healthcare.

"I do what every other nurse does. I just was the lucky one to get picked. 

It was a big honor. There are so many nurses that do the same thing."

- Nurse Renee Hendrix

This is part of my #AtoZChallenge where I will be focusing on Real Life Heroes: Shining Examples of Kindness and Compassion. You can find other real-life heroes here.