When I was with Bukay and he was going to school. He told me about you. That you’d be coming in some weeks as emergency nurses. I didn’t know you then but he said you’d be returning as emergency nurses, I screamed “eeiii..!” Because that was a big deal. He said when they come, you’ll see them and I nodded in patience waiting for you guys.

That was before I got to know all of you my bosses. King. Bra Desmond and you, Lakim.

You see I grew up in Aflao. I didn’t grow up having role models. I grew up having to make my own decisions because there was nothing around happening that you’d see around and say I want to be like that.

I was never proud of anything that was happening around. 99% of what was happening was negative things.

So now that I’ve grown looking back the years and realizing at least my decisions back then had placed me in a better place in the same society today, I only want to be attracted and drawn to people I see exude excellence, hardwork, dedication and all other qualities that lifts the next human or make them better than they were before. When I see people represent what I yearned in my childhood to be like but never had the opportunity to be like, it gives me joy and all certainty and approval of many positive things I envision about life.

It gives me peace knowing that the world is a good place, I just happened to be born in a different environment.

I have seen you the first time you entered the ward and began work when you returned from school. The same momentum, speed, dedication from that very first day has been the same since. If something changed, then you only got better at the things you do.

I’d sit down and be like who’s son is this? Who’s this?. Whose husband is this? Just watching and admiring you in silence. But now my admiration for you has broken into words. True words. I cannot admire you in silence. That would be a sin.

Lakim is attending to a case but when a new case comes in he’s eager to know what’s happening there too. Wow! Who’s this.? Is this guy for REAL?!!!.

I have countless moments with you I could share. Countless moments that play daily in my head.

One was when a child was later diagnosed with “brain death”. Or something. That night, the decision was to intubate the child. That night I was just admiring how you and chairmo were in control. You were using big big medical terms. That night was one of the reasons why I went to buy a medical book with the money I was given at a workshop I attended.

I would go and search for every medical term you’ll use in a shift in that book. Because I don’t want to feel lost about anything and everything happening around me.

The last medical term you used was when you gave atropine and the patient was running temperature. “Hyperthermia something something..!”. I had forgotten the exact term.

I have seen you made countless decisions in the absence of a medical prescriber which saved patients lives on many accounts.

If Lakim is on the shift, I knew we’ll never record any death no matter how critical or bad the case is. He’ll always find a way out to the rescue. Unless God decides to take the patient’s own life. Anything he touches, breathes life.

My last night with you was another evidence of what you represent as a nurse I’ll always be proud of. This man has a swollen mass at the back. He was in severe pain. You were already contemplating on some diagnosis before the prescriber would even come.

You were never satisfied with none because the symptoms the man was presenting became something like conflict of interests. To be more specific medically, you had many differential diagnosis that look akin to the symptoms.

I was attending to a patient but it was just admirable thinking and looking at you intermittently walk up and downs because you wanted to get it right and have the perfect medical/nursing intervention.

When it was all calm after getting some analgesic to administer, I took my phone out the nurse’s station trying to get the best picture of you. I couldn’t but I have some short videos of you on my phone. You never know about them.

I have seen you nearly falling because you were running to the pharmacy to get drugs because a patient having seizures needed a diazepam. I have seen you quarrel with other colleagues, because you needed something from them to help your patient survive. Be you in the pharmacy or you in the lab wanting blood for your patients.

I have seen you get so angry at patient’s relatives, especially mothers because of poor decisions they have made like keeping a sick child in the house for so long. I know you’d be beating our people because of the decisions they make out of sheer ignorance which deteriorate conditions of patients they bring in. Especially children.

It’s admirable and inspiring how you approach nursing with precision. It gives the long hope the public sometimes argue have been lost back to the profession. Whether you’re laying the patient’s bed or doing the complex of procedures, you do that so thoughtfully and with all knowledge and passion.

Your values, principles are so dear to your heart. Lakim isn’t doing or engaging in anything that his conscience speaks contrary or ill to. And I love how vocal and unapologetically you go about your values and principles.

I admire how you are confident that you know the things you know. Our society may misconstrue it for arrogance but in a white man’s land, that trait is a luxury.

Anyone who wants to know and yearns for knowledge and the things Lakim knows, knows once you are ready to learn, Lakim is ready to pour into your head more than you even deserve. The humbling hardworking student nurses would even testify.

Our people say a country which does not honor it’s heroes is not worth dying for but in your case you choose to die for your country and the people you serve regardless despite the ill treatments, despite the systemic imbalances, despite the no motivation.

When I was in children’s ward, I saw one beautiful child. I asked the name and I was told she’s called “ZOEY”. She was just beautiful. Beautiful like a gift I never imagined having. A moslem name which means “LIFE”. I said that was going to be my first daughter’s name. I think you have given me all reasons beyond every doubts that when I give birth and it’s my first boy, I will be calling him LAKIM. Names are powerful. But it’s more powerful if the people who bare these names do extraordinary things. I want to have HEROES like you in my family tree too. So I’m naming my son LAKIM.

The way you work and the approach to your job, if it were to be on other side of life, you should be driving at least HONDA CRV to work everyday.

You’ll make a good politician like the Ablakwas. You’re passionate about people. You care about people. You hear people’s stories and wish life never places them in anything or anywhere near misfortune because you know how it feels to be displaced because one doesn’t have.

I know the universe will make that happen one day seeing your face wanting to become an MP for your people back home and I’ll be here doing all the “probonos” with everything that has to do with campaigning and making sure you win. Because I know a vote for you is a vote for everyone.

In a world where I was starved HEROES and society where we don’t value and appreciate our HEROES, I have found one and it’s you LAKIM.