Charise McGee

All Day I Dream About Serving ( Patients)

It was an unusual Friday in Durham, NC but my usual start of my weekend shift. I say it was unusual because it was 23 degrees outside and snow on the ground. Usually when it's like the city is shut down. Me being an essential worker and the weekend manager of the Emergency Dept I headed out to work. My drive was about an hour in as I lived in Greensboro. Once I arrived at work I went in my office and started taking off my heavy layers and changed out of my furry boots and put on my gym shoes which always matched my dresses or outfit. Todays gym shoe was a pair of snakeskin black adidas shell toe. Once I got myself together I walked out of my office down the hall as I turned the corner I saw one of the nurses in the lost and found. I spoke and asked what she was doing. She spoke with our usual language calling me Chicago as I call her Chitown, both of us being from Chicago. She went on to tell me of a homeless man who came in and didn't have any shoes as someone had stole his so she was trying to see if they had any that might fit him. I didn't think much more about it and headed to the front of the ED to relieve the night shift person as my staff was short and to help out I'd taken on the responsibility of the front desk. Once at the front desk I saw Chitown walk back past saying she was going to look for some more. A few minutes later she appeared again with a pair of hot pink running shoes and said this is the last pair hopefully these will fit. She walked over to a small figure and bent down helping him with trying on the shoe. She lifted up as he shook his head and walked back over by me saying these didn't fit either and that's all we have. Standing on the other side of the arrival desk I asked what size does he wear. She said about a seven. I took oh my gym shoe and looked at the tongue as I couldn't remember if they were boys or woman but usually all my gym shoes are boys. I saw 7 and handed to her and said " Here, see if this fits" She asked me was I sure in disbelief as everybody knew how I was about my shoe attire. I said " Yes". She went over to the man and told him to try it on and she came back and said it fit. I then handed her the other one and she said " Are you sure?" I responded " Yes" at which time she took him the other shoe. As I'm sitting there with no shoes on one of my staff members walked up and I asked her to go to my office and get my boots for me. Next thing I know this small figure was standing in front of me on the other side of the desk with water in his eyes he grabbed my hand and said "Thank you so much!" I said " You're welcome! You take care! As I watched him walk out the door I was so happy that I was able to help him. The nurses asked me why I did that and I explained to them there is no way I could send a man out of here on one of our coldest days with either those hospital booties or nothing on his feet, it wouldn't sit right with me knowing I could've made a difference in that man's life even if it was minimal his smile made my day. Also I look at situations like put yourself in that situation wouldn't you want someone to help you if they could. I would go one to be nominated for an award which I had no idea and I actually came up with what we do in healthcare ADIDAS…ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT SERVING (patients). I've always tried to find other ways to help the patients outside of not being clinical and this was my moment to help one of our patients.