Since 2017 I have had a former patient who sends me a message when they hit their anniversary of sobriety. They will always thank me because of how I treated them with dignity even though they might not have acted in that way towards me. It took me a while to understand the importance of this relationship. As nurses we don’t often get the opportunity to see how our patients are doing once, they leave our care. We do not know if we had a positive or negative effect. We work hard at that moment to make sure we give the best treatment possible. There are patients I would wonder, “How are they doing?” Most of the time we will never know. We just hope and pray the impact made that person’s life a little better.
I believe that this yearly interaction was the start of my dignity journey. This person has credits me for their ability to take the first step to stop drinking, but the truth is they changed my life. They helped me to understand the power we have as people to have an impact on another person’s life. This impact can be both positive and negative. I began to understand that we may not know the lasting effects we have on someone when we have these short interactions so why not treat people by honoring their dignity.
It “blows my mind” that a six-hour interaction led this person to walk thought the door to receive help after years of struggling to give up drinking. I do not have any magical powers. All I did was treat this person how they deserved to be treated with dignity. This journey we have taken together has had a significant impact on how we live our lives today. I am not the person I was before our meeting. I have come to understand the importance of trying to live my life by honoring the dignity of others. They have lived a life of sobriety which I am sure has had an impact on them and all the people around them.
We have not seen each other since that day. I get a text message every year saying, “Still here. Still going strong.” I respond with the same message. Those five words mean more to me than they will ever know. It is my reminder to stay strong, keep moving forward, and continue to live my life honoring dignity. These words I type are not about me elevating my ego or getting praise. I am honoring the gift that was given to me by a patient I cared for. It is an opportunity to say you matter. We all matter and when we honor dignity, we will not only change our lives, but we will impact the lives of others.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 
Charles, you worked in my department at Baystate Health, and I think we only met a couple of times. I want you to know that your words are very inspiring and thoughtful. I enjoy reading your weekly blog and always find an uplifting message that makes the read worthwhile. Keep doing what you are doing and know that you are touching the lives of so many, we just don’t always take the time to let you know. Thank you!
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