HOUSTON — A nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital In Houston is going above and beyond, taking a month off work to help Ukrainian refugees.
Kyle Cockerham started his career as a PICU nurse during the pandemic. He sees his job as a blessing.
“How cool is it to be the person someone needs when they’re going through their darkest day?” he said
KHOU 11 News sat down with Cockerham two days before he left for Eastern Europe. He’s taking a month off to work at a clinic in Moldova to care for Ukrainian refugees. His medical missions team is also traveling to nearby villages to provide care.
“My calling is to give back to others. It’s my purpose to help those in need. I can’t neglect when millions of people are fleeing their homes and jobs to a country they’re unfamiliar with due to violence,” Cockerham said.
He arrived late last week. He says he’s seeing more than 60 patients a day, treating their physical and emotional needs then praying with every patient.
“It’s just so special to hear their stories and give them a big hug. We’ve had tons of patients who say they honestly haven’t laughed or smiled in two months,” he said during a zoom interview from Moldova.
Cockerham’s day-to-day life looks different than it did in the PICU, but he says his mission as a nurse is the same: to help people and show compassion.
To support Cockerham’s mission, you can donate to SendRelief.org
On this National Nurses Day, we salute Cockerham and all of the other nurses who work so hard to care for their patients.