Patrick S.
A Heartwarming Experience from Our Founder Curt Spallone
“That day in the ER, I had simply done what I felt was right — to care for a young boy in pain and his worried mother. Little did I know, it would inspire someone else to find their calling and make a significant difference in their own way…”
During my time as a supervisor at UIC Hospital, I encountered countless moments of intensity and empathy, but one particular experience has stayed with me all these years.
It was a frantic evening in the ER when I received a call to assist with a young patient suffering from an intense sickle cell crisis. As I hurried to the room, I found a distraught mother trying to comfort her son amidst his excruciating pain. The boy, barely a teenager, was writhing in agony, his face contorted with every wave of pain. The medical team needed him to stay still for X-ray images, a task that seemed impossible given the circumstances.
I approached them gently, explaining the necessity of the scans and assuring them that we would do everything to minimize his discomfort. I held his hand and spoke softly, trying to distract him from the pain while the technicians worked swiftly to capture the required images. The mother, overwhelmed with gratitude, thanked me profusely for being empathetic and patient during such a trying time.
Years passed, and I moved on to a temporary assignment at another facility. One day, while walking through the corridors, a familiar face stopped me in my tracks. It was the mother from that chaotic night in the ER, but this time, she was wearing scrubs and a radiographer's badge. She excitedly told me how seeing me care for her son all those years ago had left a profound impact on her. In that moment of crisis, she had decided to pursue a career in radiography herself.
She recounted how she enrolled in school shortly after that fateful night and had been working in the field ever since. Her eyes gleamed with pride as she shared how that day in the ER had set her on a new path, one she felt incredibly fulfilled in.
As we stood there, exchanging stories and catching up on the years that had passed, I couldn't help but feel humbled by the realization of the ripple effect of compassion. In the midst of our daily routines and responsibilities, we often don't realize the profound impact we can have on others' lives, even in the most fleeting encounters.
That day in the ER, I had simply done what I felt was right — to care for a young boy in pain and his worried mother. Little did I know, it would inspire someone else to find their calling and make a significant difference in their own way.
As I parted ways with her that day, I carried with me a renewed sense of purpose. The story of that young boy and his determined mother reminded me that compassion transcends boundaries of time and place, and that our actions, no matter how small, can leave a lasting imprint on someone's life.
