To all medical staff whether civilian and or military my deepest respect to all professionals.

This 2015 iconic photo was taken by a paramedic in front of a hospital in California. It shows an ER doctor who stepped outside to cry for a moment after losing a 19-year-old patient. Minutes later, he walked back inside with his head held high, and continued on to his next patient.

Credit to Luis Garcia told a heart touching story on how his grandmum past away

My grandma, a long time ago my grandma was in a deathly vehicle collision. The driver her grandson was killed on impact. Mama noy my grandma was driven to an hospital town with extreme injuries not really expected to make it past the night. In the town the doctors realized they did not have the proper means to treat her so ordered a medical evacuation to the state capital an hour away.

In the capital there was a medical resident, I think is the phrase. A distant cousin of My family. I’m not sure how medical school works but she was assigned to receive grandma in the capital medical center. This young woman knows and is very much known by all of our family. Her parents were amazing friends of grandma. She was she IS family.

We were told later that our cousin didn’t knew who she was receiving and to her shock and absolute horror it was grandma. She had to jump into her training to stabilize her from the trip. And move her to the trauma room. Somehow another close friend of ours was either traveling with grandma or met the ambulance there. But my cousin spotted my godmother. 

After doing the triage/stabilization procedures. She went and asked my godmother to see her in a room. And there she told my godmother I don’t see a good outcome for her. Her injuries are too severe and as she confessed that grandma was gonna die. Broke into sobs and tears. And told my godmother that when she went into medicine she didn’t contextualize that the life of a very beloved friend and mentor would be on her hands.

 (Understand that in Mexico some friendships that last decades are as close as family no they are family the line becomes blurred friends become your kids aunts and uncles and that was grandma to her and her parents) my Godmother is a very no nonsense woman. Gave her time to collect herself and told my cousin. You are an incredible doctor your mother is also a good I know what kind of doctor. You telling me this is good and not a sign of weakness. But over the next few days. 

You are her doctor. Our family will love you whatever happens. But if she is to stand a chance. You need to be confident, brave and professional. You cannot doubt yourself in her treatment. You are her fighting chance. Because you are a fierce doctor. So no more tears until she walks out of here alive thanks to you. Or God does his will and Calls her to him. In either case that is when you can cry again tears of joy and relief or tears of grief.

Unfortunately grandma didn’t make it but fought for 5 days stray

Credit to Michael Reyes: To all medical staff whether civilian and or military my deepest respect to all professionals.

I remembered many,many decades ago when both my parents were still young and strong supporting all of us with schooling and life. Dad one time relayed a story of mom coming home after a shift and at times double shifts at the hospital as a registered nurse working in the ER, ICU and PCU sections with other teams of nurses and doctors taking care of patients assigned to them. 

The professionalism, caring of every single patient they helped, the best treatment the hospitals can provide and after a while many would heal, survive and a word of thank you to medical staff before going home but there were times when patients would would not survive. These would be the times I would see my mom coming home crying. 

I never forgot the story when I was young why mom was crying. To all medical staff whether civilian and or military my deepest respect to all professionals. Thank you