My new role as the frightened parent of a critically injured daughter

In 2004, our teenage daughter Chloe crashed her car and was critically injured. She spent three months in spinal traction with a broken neck. The technical quality of care was excellent but some of her most basic human needs were neglected.

Chloe’s experience has been a major motivation for me to try to strengthen humanity and compassion in healthcare. Thankfully Chloe made a full recovery.

My memory of that first traumatic day is fragmented. As a clinician, I found myself in a familiar hospital setting. In my new role as the frightened parent of a seriously injured daughter, the hospital environment seemed alien and threatening.

My strongest memories of that fateful day are the small acts of kindness done by compassionate health professionals; they gave us indescribable comfort.

Chloe made many journeys within the hospital: from the trauma unit to the CT scanner; back to the trauma room; onwards to the operating theatre and to intensive care. During these potentially hazardous journeys, a transit nurse watched over her.

We felt so grateful for his loving care and attention. Not only did he carry all the equipment to monitor Chloe’s vital signs but he also anticipated her need for pain relief on the long journey. He came equipped with morphine and other drugs to relieve her distress.

But it is the memory of one act that still brings tears to my eyes. In the junction between hospital buildings there is a join in the floor. This caring nurse stopped Chloe’s trolley and individually lifted each wheel over the join to prevent her broken neck from being jolted.

Compassion is revealed in the smallest acts.

It is hard to express how profoundly vulnerable and fearful one feels for a loved one in mortal danger but these acts of exquisite kindness are the things that make you feel safe.

As parents of a seriously injured teenager, we felt very lost in the strange hospital environment. This wonderful nurse took us by the hand and led us to the places we needed to be.

In the months that followed, on bad days when Chloe was suffering the most, this nurse would magically appear in her room to offer comfort. Nobody called. He just intuitively sensed when his presence was needed.