Joe Tasby and his seeing-eye dog, Cupid, entered the hospital when Joe developed heart and lung problems shortly before the staff began to restrict visitors due to COVID-19.
Suddenly, Joe found himself in a position in which he was in the hospital with his dog, but he couldn’t have any visitors to help take Cupid for walks, care for him, or feed him.
The Vietnam veteran was understandably worried about the predicament.
However, he didn’t need to be.
Barbara to the rescue
Barbara Borbeck is a nurse at HCA Healthcare’s Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas. She, just like the patients, was a little shocked by the change that the COVID-19 precautions made in the hospital. Suddenly, a place that was bustling with visitors was now quiet. It was almost eerie.
However, Joe and Cupid were still there. She didn’t have to, but she immedietely took on the responsibility of Cupid, just as if he were her own dog, while Joe’s daughter was unable to visit.
Cupid liked Barbara right away. He doesn’t always take to everyone immediately, but he seems to have a sense for good people, and Barbara is definitely a good person, especially according to Cupid.
Part of the hospital routine
Each morning, Barbara would come by Joe’s hospital room and take Cupid for a walk outside and then bring him with her on her rounds to meet other staff members so she could be sure he was getting enough exercise before returning him to his owners.
Although it wasn’t all for Cupid. The staff appreciated having the dog around. It was hard for hospital staff to keep spirits high during such a stressful time. Cupid helped with that a lot, bringing a little extra positivity and energy each day.
Above and beyond
Not only did Barbara make sure that Cupid was getting enough exercise and outdoor time, but she also made sure that he was still getting the special food that he needed to stay healthy himself.
Being a nurse, that makes sense. She wants all of her patients (even the canines who might not actually be sick at the time) to be as healthy as possible.
When he was running out of food, she asked Joe what kind of food the dog needed and then went searching for it. The search didn’t prove to be easy. Dog food aisles were empty everywhere she went. She visited seven stores without luck. Finally, she called around and found a store that was a forty-minute drive away but still had the right type of dog food in stock.
She went to pick it up before work the next morning.
A nurse deserving of recognition
Joe and his daughter, Tiffini, were grateful for everything that the nurse had done during his weeks in the hospital. He wanted to do something special for her and definitely wanted her effort to be known and recognized.
He ended up getting in touch with a news station to do just that. He told the story of what Barbara had done to make sure that his dog was taken care of while he was in the hospital. Things could have gone a lot worse without her. Instead, she made a scary and unpredictable time a whole lot easier and less stressful to get through.
Barbara is one of our true nurse heroes. We bet Cupid thinks so too.
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