>> ONE MAN IS TAKING THE TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE HE HAD NEARLY TWO DECADES AGO AND NOW
USING IT TO GET RESULTS FOR
OTHERS GOING THROUGH CHALLENGING
TIMES
>> HE’S WRITTEN BOOKS AND
CREATED A MOVEMENT ALL ABOUT
HELPING MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMPASSION AND BEING PRESENT FOR
THEIR PATIENTS.
>> WE SPENT SOME TIME WITH HIM
AND THIS ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF
TWO LITTLE WORDS.
>> YEAH.
THAT’S RIGHT.
IT WAS ACTUALLY MARCUS ENGEL’S
ENCOUNTER WITH A NURSE WHO MADE
THE DIFFERENCE FOR HIM.
THE TWO WORDS WERE, I’M HERE.
HE WANTS TO REMIND HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE
HUMAN INTERACTION AND SHOWING
EMPATHY HAS ON PATIENTS’
HEALING.
>> MARCUS WAS A NEAR DEATH 25
YEARS AGO.
>> THE CRASH NOT ONLY CRUSHED
EVERY BONE IN MY FACE BUT ALSO
CAUSED INSTANTANEOUS SIGHT LOSS.
>> HE WAS AN 18-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE
FRESHMAN WHO HAD GONE TO SEE A
FOOTBALL GAMES WITH FRIENDS BUT
NEVER MADE IT BACK HOME.
INSTEAD HE WOKE UP IN A HOSPITAL
AND IN THE DARK.
THE CRASH HAD LEFT HIM BLIND.
>> THERE WAS A 20-YEAR-OLD
PATIENT CARE TECH WHO HELD MY
HAND IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM THAT
NIGHT AND WHO KEPT REPEATING THE
TWO MOST COMPASSIONATE WORDS
THAT ANY HUMAN BEING CAN SAY TO
ANOTHER.
SHE HELD MY HAND AND JUST KEPT
SAYING OVER AND OVER, I’M HERE.
>> 20 YEARS AFTER THAT NIGHT --
>> I REMEMBER THAT NIGHT, MARK,
LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY.
>> HE MET JENNIFER.
>> THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS AND
BEING AN INSPIRATION TO NURSES
AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
EVERYWHERE.
>> JENNIFER NEVER FORGOT MARCUS
AND MARCUS NEVER FORGOT THOSE
TWO WORDS THAT REASSURED HIM HE
WAS NOT ALONE.
HE SAID THAT JENNIFER PAVED THE
WAY FOR GETTING HIS MESSAGE
ACROSS AND IT’S THROUGH HIS I’M
HERE MOVEMENT THAT HE’S WORKING
WITH MEDICAL STUDENTS, DOCTORS
AND NURSES.
>> I WANT TO REMIND HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS THAT THEY HAVE THE
ABILITY TO BE PRESENT AND
ATTENTIVE AND EMPATHIC TO
PATIENTS AND FAMILIES.
PRESENCE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF
CARE GIVING.
IT WAS THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE
AND THEN MONTHS AND MONTHS OF
RECOVERY AND SURGERIES AND
HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT I STARTED
TO WITNESS HOW WELL SOME
CAREGIVERERS TAKE CARE OF
PATIENTS AND HOW POORLY OTHER
CAREGIVERS TOOK CARE OF
PATIENTS.
>> HE’S WRITTEN ABOUT THEM IN
FOUR BOOKS AND ALONG ON THIS
JOURNEY, HIS WIFE OF 12 YEARS.
>> SOME THINGS MARCUS TEACHES.
EVERYONE BUT TEACHES ME
PERSONALLY.
TENACITY HAS TO BE ONE THAT YOU
GET UP -- YOU DON’T LISTEN TO
HOW YOU FEEL.
YOU ABSOLUTELY GET UP AND DO
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND IT COMES JUST FROM THIS
INNER STRENGTH HE HAS.
>> I ALWAYS SAY THAT WE WERE
WORKING ON MY MEMOIR WHEN
CUPID’S ARROW STRUCK AND I’M
SUCH A FORTUNATE MAN TO BE ABLE
TO HAVE HER BY MY SIDE.
>> MARVELINA IS THE EDITOR FOR
HIS BOOKS AND THAT’S HOW THEY
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME WHERE
HE’S ALSO TEACHING PRE-MED
STUDENTS THESE SAME SKILLS.
SO WHAT A GREAT STORY.
VERY INSPIRING, OF COURSE.
>> AND I LOVE THAT NOTRE DAME IS
TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO TEACH
THESE SKILLS TO PRE-MED
STUDENTS.
IT’S SOMETHING THAT IS SO
IMPORTANT AND CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE PATIENT CARE.
>> THE COURSE HE’S TEACHING IS
CALLED "BEING WITH."
SO IT’S REALLY TEACHING THEM
THAT EMPATHY, THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF ACTUALLY BEING THERE, JUST
NOT SO GET THAT MEDICAL CHECKUP
BUT TO REALLY THOUGH THAT THEY
CARE FOR THAT PATIENT.
>> SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET SO
CAUGHT UP IN THE COURSE WORK AND
THE RIGORS OF THE -- TAKING THE
COURSES AND EVERYTHING ITSELF
THAT YOU LOSE SIGHT OF THE
CONNECTION.
WHO BETTER THAN HIM TO SHARE THE
VOICE AND EXPERIENCE WITH THAT?
>> LIKE HE SAID, HE DID HAVE TWO
YEARS OF REHABILITATION,
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY SO HE
SAID THAT HE SAW THE GOOD, THE
BAD AND THE UGLY WHEN IT CAME TO
HOW THOSE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
WERE TREATING PATIENTS AND HE
WITNESSED IT FIRST HAND.
WHO BETTER THAN FOR HIM TO TELL
THE STORY?