Five years ago...

I remember that it was hard to find a place where we could touch her, there were IV lines, monitor lines, tubes, sensors, bandages, her arms were splinted to stop her hitting her head and often there were a lot of people in the room. But I managed to find her little finger, I curled it around mine. "It will be okay, you are okay" I whispered. The nurse heard me, "Don't tell her that" he said, "tell her to fight, she needs to fight, don't let her go, don't let her slip away". So I told you to fight, that you couldn't leave us, that we loved you. " Fight hard" I said, "Stay with us".

That nurse, the one who said "she has to fight"...I can't remember his name. In the blur of sleepless days and nights that followed I forgot it. I can remember other names and faces, doctors and nurses, but I can't remember his.

I can remember that exactly five years ago, he worked all night to keep her with us. That he stayed for three hours after his shift ended because he wanted to make sure she was okay. That he phoned the ward eight hours later to ask how she was. That five years ago she made it through the night because he never gave up on her. Because he told us not to give up on her.

I can't remember his name, but I am forever grateful...especially today, five wonderful years later.

Bianca - 12.00 pm - 15th July 2008