Nurses surprise 'ray of sunshine' patient on last day in the ICU

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- A respiratory patient in Indiana received a special surprise from hospital staff at Terre Haute Regional Hospital on the day of his discharge, Jan. 18, after spending 16 days in the intensive care unit ICU.

Robert, who has Down syndrome, was given presents reflecting interests he had told staffers about - WWE and wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The gifts were meant "to help him gain the strength he needed to go home to his sister," the hospital wrote on Facebook.

The video captured Robert's reaction as he opened his gifts, smiling broadly and fist-bumping with hospital staff.

A hospital spokesperson told Storyful, "Robert came to Terre Haute Regional Hospital with a severe respiratory illness, on a ventilator. In order for him to return home, nurses and therapists had to encourage activity to regain his strength. After realizing his affinity for wrestling, staff began utilizing online videos via a tablet to help him regain the strength he lost.

"He is from a small town in Illinois about 100 miles from the hospital, and lives with his sister," the spokesperson added. "Because of restricted visitation in the hospital due to COVID, his sister could not visit. So the ICU nurses went the extra mile to care for him. As one of the nurses said, 'He was an absolute ray of sunshine every single day! I loved every minute of caring for him!"

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