University Medical Center spokeswoman Katie Riley introduced the
nurses from the intensive-care unit that cared for U.S. Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords and other victims of the Jan. 8 mass shooting as
"The unsung heroes of the tragedy of two weeks ago, I think, are
some of the nurses who took care of our patients, especially those
who work in the trauma ICU."
When a page came in about a lot of incoming patients with gunshot
wounds, Nurse Tracy Culbert happens to be in charge that morning.
"We basically went into action," she declared.
They moved patients who could be discharged or moved to another
unit. Beds and care stations were immediately started to be prepared
by the nurses. And more nurses came to rescue.
"Our training does kick in," said nurse Angelique Tadeo.
"We immediately go into triage mode: who needs what first,
second."
Patients flows in from surgeries, continuously, until five new
patients had arrive at the instesive care unit.
"We treat everybody the same. It doesn't matter who they are,
what their name is, what status they hold in society," Culbert
said. "I think that we try to give every patient the best care
that we can give them, and do everything we possibly can for them and
their family."
Night-shift nurse Tadeo said, as the night shift changed the care
they give was seamless.
"We knew what we were walking into that night and we were
ready to jump in," she said.
The thing
that the nurses would definitely never forget are their bonding
moments with Giffords. Tadeo discovered that she and Giffords are
both fond of the rock band Mana, so, every night, they both listened
to one of the band's Cds together.
Culbert, on the other hand, called to mind a moment when she was
conversing with Giffords face-to-face and holding her hand when the
Representative reached up and scrutinized Culbert's necklace.
Culbert revealed to her the special meaning of the necklace: the
trinket holds an impression of her father's thumbprint. The nurse's
father died a few years ago.
Culbert mentioned to Giffords that she always knew her father was
just as special to her when she started to cry.
"She reached up and she was holding my arm and rubbing my
arm, and she reached in to pull me forward to hug me. I said, 'Gabby.
you're going to make me cry.' And she patted my back, like 'it's OK.'
That moment I'll never forget. It was something special between the
two of us. She was trying to console me and she was the one that was
hurt," Culbert happily recalled.
The nurses were all smile as they
showed their appreciation to Tucsonans for all the free food that
they have received during long work hours.
Culbert was especially touched and
thankful for the free massages. She really believed it saved them.
They also received gratitude from the
President of the United States himself. Culbert was tending to Ron
Barber, Giffords' staff, when Obama stopped by. She fondly recalled
Obama thanked her, spoke to Barber, and got a Presidential hug!
Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, called
to invite Culbert to President Obama's State of the Union address,
where he is a guest of the president and his family.
Culbert said she is beholden; her greatest wish is to see the
victims turn out well.
"My biggest gift in nursing is when my patients come back and
see me and they say thank you, and we get to see them live their life
and be happy again," she said. "That's all we want as
nurses."