Connect

"To be on the brink of death and come back — six times — is life-altering. Raven was there for him through it all!" 

The wife of a UVA Health patient is hailing the paramedic who helped save the patient's life, then nursed the husband back to health — as his UVA Health University Medical Center nurse.

Leslie Hubbard McCabe nominated Raven Curtis, BSN, RN, CCRN, NREMT-P, Critical Care Unit (CCU) for a DAISY Award — with which the Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) honors up to two UVA Health University Medical Center nurses each month.

UVA Health University Medical Center Associate Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Brill, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, and DAISY Committee Vice Chair Anthony Mallory, BSN, RN, CPAN, surprised Curtis with the award.

'In Good Hands But Terrified'

McCabe, wife of patient Eugene McCabe, submitted the emotional nomination:

"No words, no card, no award, could ever truly express the depth of gratitude I feel. While I understand that countless causes and conditions led to my husband’s survival after a major heart attack, there is one undeniable angel in this story: Raven.

"My husband called me, his voice trembling with fear. He was at the dentist’s office, just a short walk from our home, and he told me through tears that he was experiencing chest pains and was really scared. The dentist immediately called 911, and the ambulance arrived soon after. The last message I received was that they were taking him to UVA Health. He told me he was in good hands but terrified.

"Normally, I work from home, but that day, I was on a work trip in Boston. I felt helpless.

"A little while later, the Emergency Department called to inform me he had been admitted, was undergoing tests, and the cardiologist would update me soon ...."

'Took My Breath Away'

"She reassured me in a calm voice that my husband was stable — talking, drinking water — but then she told me something that took my breath away: after he was placed in the ambulance, he suffered a massive heart attack. He went into full cardiac arrest. The paramedics and EMTs performed CPR and shocked him five or six times to bring him back. Then, upon arriving at UVA Health, he had to be shocked again. It was only after a miraculous procedure in the Cath Lab that he was finally stabilized and admitted to the hospital."

"I rushed back from Boston, arriving at the hospital close to midnight. The moment I saw my husband, his eyes filled with uncontrollable tears. I held him tightly — overwhelmed with relief that he was alive. Through sobs, he told me paramedics and EMTs had saved his life, and if it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t be here today."

'Wild Ride'

"The next morning, my husband met his nurse, a young man named Raven, who walked into the room and asked, 'Hey, do you remember me? I hope not, because we had a wild ride together yesterday!'

"But, of course, my husband remembered him. Tears welled up in my husband's eyes. He said, 'You saved my life! Thank you, but thank you will never be enough.'

"That’s when we learned that Raven wasn’t only my husband’s nurse — he was the paramedic who had fought to keep his heart beating in the ambulance! In his free time, Raven volunteers for the all-volunteer, EMS Western Albemarle County Rescue Squad, among what sounded like a million other noble medical efforts beyond his job as an RN in the CCU.

"I asked Raven, 'Is it common to be assigned to care for a patient whose life you saved as a paramedic?'

"He shook his head: 'No. This is the first time in my life.'"

'On the Brink'

"Raven’s skill, training, and quick thinking saved my husband’s life that day. But as his nurse, he did so much more than just keep my husband alive — he cared for him in every sense of the word. He treated not only his physical recovery but also his emotional and spiritual suffering. To be on the brink of death and come back — six times — is life-altering. And Raven was there for him through it all!"

"I have met many compassionate people in my life, but Raven is extraordinary. Compassion, to me, is more than just feeling someone’s suffering — it’s the willingness to do something skillful, kind, and generous to relieve that suffering. And that is exactly who Raven is."

'He Gave Us Hope'

"He answered every question we had about my husband’s recovery — physically, emotionally, mentally — with patience, kindness, and even humor. He made a terrifying situation feel manageable. He gave us hope!

"Because of Raven, I am not writing this in grief. I am not mourning the loss of my husband, the father of our four beautiful daughters, the man who loves our two German Shepherds, the brother, the coach, the friend to so many. Instead, I am writing this with gratitude that my husband is still here, that he has been given another chance to live. Raven will forever be a part of our story.

"And while no award could ever truly capture what he has given us — the greatest gift of all, is that my husband is here today. That is Raven’s gift to us — forever."

Know a Fabulous Nurse?

"DAISY" stands for "Diseases Attacking the Immune System." The DAISY Award was established by The DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of only 33 of an autoimmune disease. The Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring, and compassion of his nurses, so they created this national award to thank nurses everywhere.

At UVA Health University Medical Center — patients or their families, visitors, and team members may submit a DAISY Award nomination.