For the past 5 years, every time International Nurses Day comes around on May 12, I have shared the story of a special nurse - named Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy - on my personal Facebook page.
The one who brings laughter
In 2008, I first met Thuy. In Gia Dinh People's Hospital (HCMC), Thuy was always the most outstanding person because of her overweight body, dark skin; and always sweating profusely all over her body.
Perhaps because of her appearance, Thuy was often self-conscious. Every time she pushed the medicine cart past a crowd, she always kept her head down, trying to pass by as quickly as possible. Occasionally, there were whispers and jokes about the nurse's appearance, but Thuy never got angry. Once I caught a glimpse of her sad, hiding in a corner, then a moment later she returned to work with a bright smile.
Even though she had to work overtime all day, Thuy still transmitted positive energy to everyone and never complained about anything. Her eyes were bright and shining with kindness.
While gently cleaning the wound, Thuy chatted with the patient to help him forget the pain. Through her humorous storytelling, everyone soon burst into laughter at the charm of this special nurse.
Because she lives alone, Thuy understands the feeling of emptiness and sadness when she is sick without her family by her side. That is also the reason why Thuy always pays attention and takes care of patients who have to be hospitalized alone.
Miracle
It was a busy day with many emergency cases. I finished the last surgery at midnight. I was exhausted from dealing with so many cases at once. After leaving the operating room, I went to the recovery room to check on the patients before going back to my room to take a nap.
The nurse on duty informed me that patient A suddenly became seriously ill and could not breathe on his own. At that time, the hospital did not have a ventilator, so the nurses had to take turns squeezing the patient's breathing bag. After 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, the patient's condition was still not good.
No one said a word to anyone, everyone understood what would happen to patient A. The atmosphere was eerily silent… The on-duty team suggested stopping the ventilation. With so many critically ill patients and limited medical resources, doctors were forced to prioritize saving those who still had a chance of survival. So I agreed to stop the ventilation.
Doctor Nguyen Thanh Minh and nurse Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy. (Photo provided by the author)
Suddenly, a voice rang out behind me: "Mr. Minh, I've finished my shift. Please let me stay and massage this patient. I'll do it until I'm exhausted." Honestly, at that time, I had no hope for this action, but I still nodded in agreement because Thuy was so enthusiastic.
Early the next morning, as soon as I arrived at the recovery room, a nurse rushed towards me, her eyes shining with joy.
"Doctor Minh, patient A is still alive! The patient can breathe on his own!" - the nurse said happily.
I was "frozen" - not knowing if it was real or a dream, was a miracle happening? Suddenly, I looked around to find Thuy. At the hospital, I have a habit of giving "hot" rewards to hard-working nurses and this time was no exception. "It was almost morning, after the patient was stable, that Thuy agreed to go home" - another nurse told me.
A miracle happened! The miracle did not come from the doctor’s brain, but from the warm heart of the nurse. At that moment, I suddenly realized something but could not express it in words…
Strong woman
That year, the hospital changed its uniforms, and women switched to wearing skirts. Thuy sneaked over and whispered to me. The woman with a rough figure suddenly had tears in her eyes. "Mr. Minh, please allow me to wear my old uniform again because when I wear a skirt, my two black "pillars" will be clearly visible. I'm so embarrassed, I can't work comfortably" - Thuy confided.
I smiled and agreed to this offer, because nothing is more important than quality work and Thuy is also a special case in appearance.
A few months later, Thuy suddenly changed to wearing a skirt and stockings. The nurse knew how to take care of herself. In her uniform skirt, Thuy was more gentle and ladylike, no longer distant from her other female colleagues.
Years passed, I reached retirement age, the nurse quit her job every day.
One day, I had to go back to Gia Dinh People's Hospital. Among the many people passing by in the lobby, I caught a glimpse of a familiar back. I called out to the person: "Thuy, is this nurse Thuy?"
The person turned back, still smiling innocently and optimistically - it was indeed nurse Thuy. After many years of meeting again, Thuy was very different this time - she was wearing a set of clothes with a few patches, carrying bags of cakes and fruits to sell around the hospital. Her skin was still dark but she looked pale and thinner than before. With the eyes of a doctor, I knew Thuy was having health problems.
My eyes blurred when I learned that Thuy had the terrible disease leukemia. That woman had devoted her whole life to taking care of patients, yet when she fell ill, she was left alone.
During the months of fighting the disease, Thuy was afraid... - afraid of feeling lonely, Thuy missed... - missed her job, missed her colleagues. Thuy said that every day she had to wake up very early to make cakes, then drive from her house in District 4 to the hospital to sell them. Thuy confided that selling cakes was to earn money to pay for medicine, and also an excuse for her to go to the hospital regularly.
In 2022, through an article sharing about Thuy's illness, a friend abroad asked me to transfer money to Thuy to support her medical expenses and living expenses. I invited Thuy to my house, still with that smile and voice. The nurse from that year kept asking about my husband and I's health.
On the outside, she always shows herself to be an optimistic and positive person, but I know she is struggling with both physical and mental pain. Standing in front of the porch, watching Thuy's hard-working back as she walks home, I silently hope that a miracle will happen to this gentle woman...
In early 2023, Thuy breathed her last. I silently recalled the memories. That was the end of a human life. Thuy had lived a life devoted to her profession and devoted to her patients.
A doctor's first teacher is a nurse.
Talking to a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Minh talked about the special teachers when he was an intern. "At that time, I was just a young student, new to the profession. The nurses guided me from the most basic tasks such as taking blood, changing bandages, giving injections, and changing bed sheets for patients. Those were the first lessons when I became a doctor," Dr. Minh recalled.
According to Dr. Minh, nurses are the right-hand men of doctors. Doctors cannot treat patients without the support of nurses. Nowadays, nurses are gradually asserting their role in the work of treating and saving people. Many patients are saved thanks to the intelligence and experience of nurses. In special cases, nurses "go to battle" no different from real doctors.
Hue Xuan recorded
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