Hospital Was Scene of Heroism and Bravery

* Your article “Hospital Near Epicenter Proved to be a Safe Haven” (Jan. 31) spoke of heroes on duty that night. I am proud to know a few you omitted.

I work on the rehabilitation unit at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where our patients face fear on a daily basis.

They struggle, and most succeed, in rebuilding their lives, changed indelibly in a heartbeat by a bullet, a drunk driver, a disabling stroke. And yet these people showed true courage in a crisis, as did the remarkable staff that early morning.

As gas fumes filled the hall, nurses Liz Friala, Arceli Vilgera, Connie Luna, Fred Chinchilla, Lucia Badilla and Sharon Molina, assisted by other hospital personnel, lifted patients into their wheelchairs, mobilizing them to be evacuated.

Instead, the rehab floor was deemed safe for occupancy, and as dawn arrived, it turned into a mini MASH unit, taking admissions from the emergency room and patients evacuated from other parts of the hospital. We “washed” our hands with alcohol and made rounds by flashlight. All during the long night, rocked by countless aftershocks, the patients soothed the staff’s jittery nerves, each stating, “I’m OK, don’t worry.”

Yes, we were near the epicenter of a devastating earthquake, and a shining example of human bravery and a commitment to caring.

BETINA KAMINS

Clinical Care Coordinator

Rehabilitation Unit

Northridge Hospital Medical Center