Nurses are trained to anticipate and fulfill their patients’ needs, but sometimes there’s more to the job than simply administering medicine and comfort.
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Steven Moylan has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis since the beginning. He works as a nurse in the ICU of the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia.
Sarah Kelly is one of Steven’s patients. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was struggling to breathe in the intensive care unit. Because she has Down syndrome, she couldn’t understand that she had to keep her oxygen tubes in her nose.
Instead of getting frustrated, Steven racked his brain for ways to get the message through to her so she could understand. Meanwhile, Sarah’s health continued to decline. Her one major source of comfort came from an Australian children’s music group.
“She had it on her iPad, she just wouldn’t look away from The Wiggles and I thought to myself, ‘What if I could get The Wiggles to wear the nasal prongs? Would she copy them and do what they do?'” Steven said.
Steven spent the next few days sending out dozens of emails and calling 35 times in hopes of getting in touch with someone. Finally, he got the call he’d been waiting for.
Two members of The Wiggles were ready and willing to help! Anthony Field (the blue Wiggle) and Simon Pryce (the red Wiggle) agreed to record a special video just for Sarah.
“Anthony and I just jumped in our cars and met at the studio and we just recorded and filmed this quick video for Sarah to help alleviate the fear she had,” Simon said. “As Wiggles, we are more than happy to take that on board and do whatever we can.”
The incredible nurse sent some medical equipment to the studio and told The Wiggles what Sarah needed to hear. “That’s what we needed for her to stay alive,” Steven said.
In a video, The Wiggles sang a special song for Sarah and modeled wearing the nasal prongs, encouraging her to take deep breaths as she did. “It helps me breathe so beautifully! I love my nasal prongs,” Anthony said on-screen.
The video had an immediate effect on Sarah. She put her own nasal prongs in and kept them in all day, and her condition began to improve instantly. She’s been in the hospital for five weeks, three of which were in an induced coma, but now she’s due to be released!
Steven was thrilled that his plan worked and that The Wiggles stepped up to help out one of their biggest fans.
“I think it’s been the highlight of my career!” Steven said.
For The Wiggles, however, it’s Steven who deserves all the praise. “He’s been in the ICU and battling COVID for the past 18 months, yet he was still able to think outside the square and take someone’s personal circumstance into account,” Simon explained.
Sounds like a team effort to us! Steven really went the extra mile to get Sarah back on her feet, and it’s wonderful to see a children’s group giving back to their fans in such a meaningful way!
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