From hello to help: a nurse’s act of kindness

Sometimes, saying hello can change everything. Daniel Rowe, a nurse at RDNS Silverchain, saw this happen recently.  

Daniel works as an RDNS Silverchain nurse at West Care Centre in Adelaide. West Care is a community service that helps people who need a safe space, food, showers, and a bed during bad weather. While on a break one cold winter evening, Daniel saw something that caught his attention.  

Walking through Adelaide’s busy Rundle Mall, he noticed a young man wearing a hospital gown as a T-shirt and a hospital wristband. Curious and concerned, Daniel walked up to him and said, “Hi, I see you’ve been in hospital.” Daniel told the man he works as a nurse.  

The young man, who was 30 years old and from New Zealand, explained that he had left hospital on his own earlier that day after collapsing in Rundle Mall. He didn’t have any identification including no Medicare card, and no money.  

Daniel called the South Australian Department of Health. He spoke with a person there who said the police were looking for the young man because he still had a canula in his arm. They also wanted to make sure he was okay. Following their instructions, Daniel carefully removed the cannula.  

Daniel kept talking with the young man and learned that he had been hospital four times in the last month because of similar collapses. This was partly due to his issues with alcohol.  

As Daniel learned more, the young man told him about an injury he had as a child. He had been shot in the head, which caused brain damage. The young man also said he often has seizures and cannot afford his medicine.  

Daniel wanted to help, so he asked the young man if he could call his father. The young man agreed. Daniel called the father and told him his son was okay. He also suggested that the father add his son to his Medicare card so the young man could get medical help and his anti-seizure medicine.   

Working together, Daniel and the South Australian Department of Health provided money for a bus ticket so the young man could go home to his father in Port Lincoln the next day. Daniel also got food and lunch vouchers for the man and a safe space for him to stay until his bus left. The young man spent the night at West Care Centre.  

Thanks to Daniel’s compassion and resourcefulness, the young man was on his way to reunite with his father, ensuring he would receive the necessary medical care.  

Daniel said the encounter with the young man highlighted the importance of compassion in health care. It is not just about treating medical conditions but also understanding the person’s situation and doing what we can to support them.

“Meeting this young man reminded me of the impact a simple ‘hello’ can have on a person’s life," Daniel said.

“By starting a conversation and taking the time to listen, I was able to uncover his struggles, help him reconnect with his family, and access the care he desperately needed.”