Grateful Patient and Healthcare Hero, Akira Sawada, CNA
My name is Akira Sawada. I’m a nurse, and now former patient, of USC Arcadia Hospital. And I am forever grateful to the staff – my colleagues – for the medical care and emotional support they gave me when I needed it most. I want to share with you why your donation today means so much.
I work as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) on the 4th Floor of the North Tower at USC Arcadia Hospital. When the pandemic hit, we became the floor that cared for COVID-19 patients. My training in the Air Force helped prepare me to do what needed to be done each day – care for patients sick with an unknown illness. The team came together like never before, and we faced this challenge head on.
Nothing could have prepared me for what would happen next, when my team helped save my life.
On March 30, I started to feel chest pains. My manager, Doug Robinson, rushed me down to the emergency department. It didn’t sink in until they were urgently working on me in the ED that I might be having a heart attack.
The team got me prepped and ready for an angiogram in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. On the way, I blacked out, coded, and had to be shocked two times to bring me back from death. I was quickly taken to the Cath Lab and had a stent placed in my right coronary artery. They saved me!
I spent a few days in the ICU, and then on the cardiac floor. I was able to recuperate and go home after a few days, getting back to my wife and three kids. While healing, I’ve had time to reflect on my experiences.
What I remembered most was the amazing love, support, and hard work from all of the staff. From those who treated me in the ED, ICU, and cardiac wing to my coworkers who came in from 4 North and across the hospital to check on me and make sure I was okay. All I had to do was focus on my recovery.
I especially remember the discharge nurse who came to talk with me. She outlined my medications and what to expect in ongoing recovery from a heart attack. She was very thorough and clear as well as patiently talking me through the anxiety that came with my brush with death. She talked to me not just on a professional level, but on a personal level that truly made me feel like I would be okay.
Also important to me was a visit from the chaplain who came and prayed with my wife and me, strengthening our faith in knowing that I was brought back for a higher purpose.
I am blessed by the outstanding services from the hospital, allowing me to come home to my family and live to see another day.
As an insider, it’s easy to see how community donations play an important role in our work and the lives of patients. From the protective equipment we wear daily given by so many individuals and organizations, to the funds donated to support our COVID-19, cardiac, and even chaplaincy programs. Each of these areas played a critical role in my life this past year fighting the pandemic and recovering from my own health crisis.
I want the community to know that we, I and my team, are truly grateful for your generosity, and that you play an essential role in the health of everyone in the San Gabriel Valley.
Please consider a donation today to support USC Arcadia Hospital, and the staff and patients like me. You can truly make a difference and save lives.
Thank you in advance for your gift,
Akira Sawada
CNA and Former Patient, USC Arcadia Hospital