'Humble' student nurse left Welsh phrases in bedside note to help staff calm down child with cancer

Medical caregivers often go out of their way to treat their patients with patience and love. When a student nurse had a child who spoke in a different language, she did something thoughtful and heatwarming. Natalie Ridler of Gorseinon, Swansea, the mother of the 2-year-old, said that the nurse left some lines written in Welsh along with their English translation on the child's bedside notes so that the hospital staff could use them while talking to the child and comfort him, reports BBC. The nurse's note began with the message: "Mum reported that speaking Welsh to Morgan helps soothe him. Here's some that may help." 

In a TikTok video that has received more than 16,000 likes, Ridler explains that the family was in England for Morgan's tumor removal surgery in December 2021 and the child was in intensive care following the surgery. They couldn't remain with him overnight and were sleeping nearby when the hospital contacted them at 3:30 a.m. to report that Morgan was in great difficulty. She said, "She [the nurse] asked me a couple of questions." Ridler recalls mentioning to the nurse in a passing comment during the conversation that she speaks to Morgan in Welsh when he is in distress.

Welsh is the family's first language, and Morgan was more acquainted with the language. Ridler added, "I believe she's from Wales, but she was a student nurse in one of the universities up there. And, unbeknownst to me, she's taken from that conversation that Morgan liked to be spoken to in Welsh when he was upset and she went and wrote in his notes some Welsh phrases and their pronunciation so that the members of staff on the ward could speak to him."

Ridler is very grateful to the nurse and said that though very simple "it was a very moving thing to have done." She said, "You know that she probably didn't think was a big deal when she was doing it. She was just trying to make sure Morgan felt OK. But it meant the world to us and to Morgan, I imagine, as well." Sincer her son was in a "scary place," it must have been really calming for the child to hear something familiar. Moreover, the mother believes that the phrases the nurse wrote down were "perfect," and it included simple yet calming words like "You're OK" and "You're safe."  

Ridler said that the "incredible thing" that the student nurse did is "so heart-warming." She believes, "What an amazing nurse she's going to make one day." Ridler recalls that the nurse was "humble" so most likely hasn't "grasped the enormity of what it was and what it meant to us because to her she was just doing something nice." Morgan, who is now 3, has undergone eight rounds of chemotherapy and has recently had a clean scan, according to her. The nurse messaged Ridler on TikTok to say she had graduated and would be starting her first job in critical care the following week, and she was grateful for the opportunity to assist. 

Applauding the nurse's efforts, one person commented, "As a welsh speaking PICU nurse this is amazing. I can imagine how those few phrases must helped calm Morgan - she’ll make a fab nurse." Another wrote, "This is so incredible, this nurse is going to go far. Absolutely beautiful, above and beyond! Totally not tearing up!" Ridler has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for cancer charity in the name of her son "to hopefully show him in future that lots of good can come from adversity."