A heart attack led to a heartfelt friendship!

When nurse practitioner Alison Hoit leaned over a cardiac patient's bedside and assured the frightened woman she was going to be okay, she never guessed that mere months later she herself would be comforted in a time of need by the very same woman!

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Early Monday morning, NICU nurse Pam Kays was listening to the charge nurse give report to a trainee when a wave of nausea and heat rushed through her body.

Pam recognized the symptoms and headed into the practitioner's office. “I'm having a heart attack,” she calmly stated as her arms and legs began tingling.

“Quick! Chew an aspirin!” her manager instructed and summoned the hospital’s emergency team.

In the ER, doctors started an IV, but Pam soon went into full cardiac arrest.

A calming voice

Pam suffered a “widowmaker” heart attack and a surgeon had to open her blocked artery with a stent.

Pam was on a respirator hours later when she awoke. She motioned for a pad and pen and wrote: Is the respirator in correctly? How long will I be on it?

The cardiac ICU nurses scurried about, trying to calm Pam and answer her questions. But then Alison Hoit, the unit's nurse practitioner, appeared.

Realizing Pam was terrified, Alison gave a warm smile. “Don’t worry. We're going to take good care of you,” she said and her words settled over Pam.

The next morning, Pam was strong enough to breathe on her own.