Story by Adventist HeathCare Staff
As her patient’s vital signs dropped, Ann Roda held his hand and prayed. She had been working as a nurse on a shock trauma unit when a college student was rushed in with fatal stab wounds. It soon became apparent that his family would not arrive in time to say goodbye. She remained at his bedside and offered comfort and prayer in his final moments.
“I became his family in that very moment,” Roda says. “There was a calmness and peace that came over him as I held his hand. The experience solidified for me what healthcare truly means.”