BECAUSE
BECAUSE I
BECAUSE I THINK THEY THOUGHT IT WAS AN ACTOR.
I'M NOT AN ACTOR.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS AD
ON KTVB FOR ST. LUKE'S
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL? IT
FEATURES PEDIATRIC
NURSE JOE RONQUILLO
, AND HIS AMAZING
DANCE MOVES.
NURSE JOE IS NOT AN
ACTOR, HE'S THE REAL
DEAL.
HE'S BEEN TAKING CARE
OF LITTLE PATIENTS AT ST.
LUKE'S FOR YEARS NOW,
AND ADORED BY THE
PATIENTS AND BY THEIR
FAMILIES.
MAGGIE O'MARA TELLS US
ALL ABOUT THIS HERO,
AND
AND HOW
AND HOW HIS DANCING BRINGS SO MUCH LIGHT AND LOVE TO THESE
LITTLE WARRIORS.
HERES TONIGHT'S SEVENS
HERO.
HERO.
I'VE
I'VE BEEN
I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST
16
16 YEARS.
16 YEARS. NURSE JOE RONQUILLO LOVES HIS JOB. HE PRIDES
HIMSELF ON TAKING THE
BEST CARE OF HIS LITTLE
PATIENTS, PATIENTS LIKE
BABY NAOMI - WHO IS
BATTLING A BRAIN
TUMOR.
IT MEANS EVERYTHING.
I THINK WORKING WITH
OUR ONCOLOGY PATIENTS
IS VERY MEANINGFUL TO
ME BECAUSE I KNOW THEY
ARE CHRONICALLY ILL
CHILDREN THAT HAVE TO
STAY HERE, AND OFTEN
TIMES IT'S DAYS OR WEEKS
OR EVEN LONGER.
I THINK IT'S AN AMAZING
THING TO BE A PART OF
THAT...
NURSE JOE HAS AN
INCREDIBLE STORY.
BEFORE HE WAS BORN, HIS
PARENTS IMMIGRATED TO
IDAHO FROM EL
SALVADOR.
MY PARENTS BROUGHT
MY OLDER BROTHER AND
SISTER FROM EL
SALVADOR AND THEN I
WAS BORN HERE WITH MY
LITTLE SISTER...
SO I WAS BORN HERE,
THAT'S RIGHT, FIRST
GENERATION...
BUT, HE ISN'T THE ONLY
ONE IN HIS FAMILY TO GO
INTO THE MEDICAL FIELD,
OR TO WORK AT ST. LUKE'S
HOSPITAL.
MY WHOLE FAMILY
WORKS HERE...
MY SISTER LAVINIA AND
SABRINA ARE BOTH
RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS,
AND MY BROTHER
MARVIN IS A NURSE
DOWNSTAIRS IN THE NICU. HIS PARENTS ARE SO
PROUD, AND - JOE IS WELL
KNOWN FOR SOMETHING
ELSE HERE AT ST. LUKE'S...
HIS DANCING.
THE BEST CARE AND THE
BEST MOVES.
IF HE'S YOUR NURSE...
THERE'S A GOOD
OPPORTUNITY THAT I MAY
BE DANCING FOR YOU...
SO IT'S A WIN WIN.
I CALL IT GIVING EXTRA
FLAVOR...
IT'S YOUR LAST DAY HOW
MANY DAYS WERE YOU
HERE? 27 DAYS! 27 DAYS,
OH MY GOSH THE WHOLE
MONTH.
THIS IS MAVERICK
GOETTSCHE
...TODAY IS A BIG DAY FOR
THIS 6-YEAR-OLD BOY.
I'M GOING HOME!
GREAT, LET'S LISTEN TO
YOUR TUMMY! I HEARD A
COUPLE RIBBITS IN THERE,
DID YOU HAVE FROGS
LEGS FOR BREAKFAST?
THAT'S MY BEST JOKE, DID
YOU KNOW THAT?
MAVERICK TOLD US WHY
HE'S HAD SUCH A LONG
STAY.
I WAS LIKE IN TEARS OF
MY BELLY HURTING.
AND THEN MY APPENDIX
EXPLODED!
HE HAD SOME
COMPLICATIONS, BUT
NURSE JOE MADE HIS
DAYS AT THE HOSPITAL A
LOT MORE FUN.
YOUR MOM SAYS YOU
LOVE TO DANCE TO, IS
THAT RIGHT? FANTASTIC
AND I LOVE TO DANCE
ALSO.
GIVE IT A GO... ALRIGHT
THAT'S FANTASTIC! THAT'S
A FREE STYLE!
HE'S A DANCING NURSE,
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN
THAT BEFORE? NO. SO
WHAT DOES HE DO WHEN
HE
HE COMES
HE COMES IN? DANCE! A NURSE THAT DANCES ALL THE TIME!
DID YOU HAVE A DANCE
CONTEST?
HE DID A ROBOT...
I DID MY HAIR FLIP AND
AN AWESOME MOVE...
THOSE WERE MY TWO
MOVES.
NURSE JOE IS ALSO
ALWAYS GAME FOR A
LIGHT SABRE BATTLE!
I'M A JEDI LIKE MY FATHER
BEFORE ME...
BEFORE ME...
JOE
JOE IS
JOE IS SOMETHING OF A SOCIAL MEDIA STAR! YOU MAY JUST SPOT A POST OR
TWO OF HIM DANCING
WITH HIS PATIENTS ON
FACEBOOK. HE'S WELL
LOVED IN THE
CHILDHOOD CANCER
COMMUNITY. EVERYONE
IS HOPING NURSE JOE IS
ON THEIR SHIFT.
ONE PARENT WILL FILM A
LITTLE VIDEO AND THEN IT
WILL JUST SPREAD
AROUND.
AROUND. THE GREATEST JOY FOR ME IS ME DANCING FOR
THEM
THEM HERE
THEM HERE AT THE HOSPITAL... IT'S NOT JUST TREATING
THE DISEASE IT'S TREATING
THE ENTIRE PATIENT... SO I
THINK THOSE ARE THE
MOMENTS THAT I
CHERISH THE MOST.
FOR JOE, BRINGING HIS
YOUNG PATIENTS A SMILE
DURING THEIR WORST
TIMES, IS EVERYTHING.
IT'S THE BEST FEELING IN
THE WORLD...
NURSE JOE RONQUILLO -
7'S HERO!
7'S HERO!
JOE
JOE JUST
JOE JUST FINISHED NURSE PRACTIONER'S SCHOOL. HE SAYS HIS PATIENTS
INSPIRED HIM TO DO
THAT!
HE'S NOT SURE WHAT THE
FUTURE HOLDS. BUT, HE
SAYS EVEN AS AN NP, HE'S
GOING TO KEEP ON
DANCING AND TAKING
THE VERY BEST CARE OF
CHILDREN.
BRI'S UP NEXT WITH THE
FORECAST