Dedicated, Caring Providers — from a calming voice and a caring touch, to outstanding volunteerism and community outreach, Backus Hospital is comprised of a team of compassionate providers who are dedicated to the people they serve.

Caregiver's View

Sometimes, in the hectic blur of our daily lives,we can forget about the caring people who surround us.

That changed for me earlier this year when I found myself on the other side of the patient care spectrum. I was driving my 7-year-old son, Emanuel,whom we affectionately call "E," to reading camp when we were sideswiped by a car, causing my van to do a 360-degree spin and roll six times.

The van landed right-side up. I was unaware if my child was alive as he was in total silence. I scrambled to release my seat belt and started screaming for help. I turned my head to hear a voice say,"Stay calm. We are here." We got out of the van and sat on the side of the highway watching our tin can we called a van. We were truly happy to be alive.

A voice from the side of the road said, "Desiree, it's Wendy from Backus. I am here. It will be OK. You know the drill. Emanuel is OK." Wendy was driving behind me and saw the van tumble. I had assisted her in nurse orientation at Backus. The paramedic happened to be a policeman who knew us from school functions. Wendy and the paramedics were Backus angels sent to comfort us.

I was calm until they placed a headboard on my son and me. I was no longer able to look and see him. I was overwhelmed, I was in shock and I was scared. Wendy kept me calm telling me detail by detail what my son was doing.

We entered the ambulance side-byside on the stretcher. He was doing great but I started to emotionally fall apart. Wendy squeezed my hand and told me,"Don't worry. Your friends at Backus will be there and take care of you guys."

I entered the ER scared. I could not see or hear my son. As I was wheeled down the corridor all I can remember is them saying,"Desiree,we are here and E is behind you.We are here." I felt at home and burst into tears.

It was even more dramatic as my husband was away on business and had no idea of the crash. I had my older son in the ER and co-workers sat with him and assured him that I was going to be OK.

In that instant, they took the place of my biological family. The ER nurses were great. They allowed Emanuel to stay in the bay with me. They lovingly encouraged me to take the medication so they could debride my arm as I had glass,gravel and dirt embedded into it. The X-ray tech gently caressed my head and picked glass out of my back as we waited. The ER nurses even gave Emanuel a "crash pack."

It had a note pad and pencil in it with a little bear. We named him Crash.