A Gratitude Letter to the Nurses of Pacific Global Medical Center
A Gratitude Letter to the Nurses of Pacific Global Medical Center
A story of care, compassion, and small gestures that carried us through long hospital stays
Dennis’s first hospitalization at Pacific Global Medical Center was for gallstones and a liver abscess in 2024. Two weeks in the hospital turned strangers into familiar faces. By the seventh floor we had names we could call out in comfort: Nurse Jun, Nurse Kate, Nurse Abel, Nurse Grace, and Nurse Dennis. Their patience and kindness made a frightening time feel safer.
When cancer came this year, hospital visits became frequent. Because of those early bonds, we always asked for a room on the 7th floor for chemotherapy. The familiarity felt like a quiet blessing — people who knew us, who remembered small details, and who cared consistently.
The surprise on the 6th floor and new bonds
In July 2025 there were no rooms available on the 7th floor, so we were placed on the 6th. Imagine our relief when we found Nurse Jun there again. Seeing a trusted face at the start of a long admission made all the difference.
A month on the 6th floor built new friendships. Names I now carry warmly: Nurse Jun, Nurse Jasmin, Nurse Venj, Nurse Claire, Nurse CJ, Nurse Rox, Nurse Ren, Nurse Maya, Nurse Cy, and nursing assistants Ate Anne and Kuya Bok. I might not remember every name, but I remember the feeling of being seen and cared for. Their compassion was constant; I never once felt they were impatient or unkind.
A simple gesture that meant everything
As we prepared to go home, and then readmitted three weeks later, we asked for a 6th-floor room but were placed on the 5th. On our third night, there was a knock: Nurse Jun, Nurse Venj, and Nurse Jasmin were at our door. They told us they had planned to visit as soon as they heard Dennis was on the 5th floor. Nurse Jun and Nurse Venj came off duty to drop by; Nurse Jasmin had just started her night ICU shift but still stopped in first.
That visit overwhelmed me. It wasn’t a grand act—just presence, a few moments of checking in, and heartfelt words—but it showed a depth of care that goes beyond duty. Those three didn’t have to come. They chose to. That choice spoke louder than any procedural protocol.
Learning new names again on the 5th floor
Now we are staying on the 5th floor of the hospital, starting to learn new names of the nurses again, hoping to gain new friendships and relationships once more. Each new face holds the possibility of care, comfort, and another quiet moment of kindness.
What this taught me about caregiving
Compassion shows up in consistency. The nurses weren’t exceptional because of one heroic act; they were exceptional because they showed up, again and again.
Small gestures ripple. Snacks I gave were my way of saying thank you, but the nurses’ small, steady kindness healed in ways medicine alone could not.
Respect the human side of healthcare. Nurses carry heavy burdens; grumbling is understandable, but empathy matters both ways — from staff to patients and patients to staff.
Presence can be a prayer. Their visits felt like answered prayers because they brought peace and reassurance when we needed it most.
A message to nurses and to families
To the nurses reading this: your sacrifices and long shifts do not go unnoticed. The exhaustion is real, but so is the gratitude you seed in the hearts of patients and families. Please keep showing up with kindness; it changes days and sometimes changes outcomes.
To other patients and relatives: treat nurses with respect and compassion. They are people with lives and struggles of their own, and a little kindness from us makes their work lighter and our recovery warmer.
Our thank you
We are deeply grateful to every nurse and nursing assistant at Pacific Global Medical Center who walked this path with us. Nurse Jun, Venj, Jasmin and the teams on the 5th, 6th and 7th floor gave more than clinical care; they gave presence, warmth, and dignity to Dennis and to me. For that, we salute them and carry their kindness forever.
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