About Johnny's Hope

In 2017 Johnny was admitted to the hospital for an irregular heartbeat, then things quickly went from bad to worse.  Johnny was left fighting for his life.  We were transferred to a heart hospital where Johnny was placed on life support and given very little hope to survive.

 

I met Hayley Rayburn on the worst day of my life. Johnny had gone into full cardiac arrest five times by this point. I had not slept, eaten, or left his bedside in 72 hours.  I remember being so terrified to leave his side, fall asleep, or even just breathe. He was so unstable the hospital left him hooked up to the crash cart ready to administer lifesaving bolts of electricity to him at any moment.

​

It was time for shift change with a new nurse that had no idea what she was walking into. The door opened, and in walked Hayley -- a pretty little nurse with a radiating smile and calmness surrounding her. I quickly found myself opening up to her, telling her all about the wonderful man that lie in the bed clinging to life, all the events that had transpired to this point, and how scared I was to even let go of his hand. All the doctors had pretty much told me he was brain dead and would never leave the hospital. Hayley quickly reassured me that she was going to do her best for him, and that God works miracles every day. 

​

Hayley not only took care of Johnny.  She took care of me.  She convinced me that I needed to take a moment to shower, nap, and get myself together in order to make the best decisions for Johnny. She had secured me the room two doors down the hall that the hospital had for patients’ families during times like this.  She assured me that if anything happened to Johnny, she would make sure to immediately come get me. For the first time in days, I was able to close my eyes and get a few hours of rest.

​

Over the next few weeks, Johnny remained in serious condition. Hayley became my constant nurse, sounding board, and advocate for Johnny.  We spent a lot of time during her long shifts talking about faith, relationships, and hope. I only left the hospital during the shifts that Hayley was on duty. I knew she would not let anything happen to Johnny, and I was able to step out to the cafeteria, take a walk, and breathe fresh air.

​

Johnny was slowly taken off the sedation medicine to see if he would wake up.  He would smile or follow the other commands she would ask him to do. Hayley was one of the only voices I felt that was truly trying to help him. Eventually it was she that stood up against the doctor and put her job on the line for Johnny -- advocating to get him the lifesaving surgery he needed. It was her voice telling the doctor that if they didn’t do the surgery to help him, she would take his case to the ethics board.  Her advocacy for Johnny got her yelled at, but it got Johnny the surgery that saved his life that same day.

​

Hayley is an example of someone that let God fill her with compassion for people. I asked her one day what led her to become a nurse. She told me that when she first started college, she had no plans of a career in nursing. She used to actually pass out at the sight of blood! However, after 2 years of majoring in child psychology, she just didn’t feel confident that was the right major for her. She let Jesus lead her in the direction he wanted her to go and applied for nursing school at Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama.  Hayley stated “I have never felt so at peace with a decision in my life. Nursing has fulfilled my heart and life in so many ways and has made me into the person I am today. It’s been one of the greatest gifts Jesus has ever given me, the ability to touch others through him.”

​

In a letter her mom wrote to her on graduation day, she told Hayley, “I have never been more sure of anything. God called my baby rose into nursing. You will be a breath of fresh air to people in pain, a soothing voice to people suffering loss, a tender hand empowered by a tender heart to wipe away tears, and a Godly example of love and compassion.”

​

One thing is for sure:  Hayley was placed in mine and Johnny’s lives as a nurse.  Her strength, compassion, and faith saved Johnny's life -- and we will forever be grateful for her.

​

Our eyes were opened to the strength and hard work of nurses.  Spending months in hospitals and rehab while Johnny was learning how to do everything over again, we had a better understanding of what it takes to be a nurse. Many times, the most important and compassionate acts go unseen by the public, physicians, and administrators. A nurse is someone that consoles a crying husband while taking care of his dying wife -- and who distracts their young child with a coloring book while their mom sleeps hooked up to tubes and machines in the ICU with a dire prognosis. They truly care about and touch lives of patients and their families.  There are countless tasks a nurse does behind closed doors -- beyond the charting, med passing, evaluation of vitals, heart rhythms, and physical assessments. Nurses demonstrate humility, compassion, and caring through genuine acts of kindness.

​

Hayley Rayburn is everything an aspiring nurse should represent. She inspired us to provide this scholarship -- through which we hope Hayley’s compassion, ethics, and legacy will live on.  Our hope, Johnny's Hope, is that this scholarship will develop a few more people like Hayley in the nursing field.