RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Just five days before Christmas, a nurse heading to work at St. Anthony’s Hospital was involved in a life-altering car accident.
Now Kate Bergoch is the one in need of care, and her fellow nurses have risen to the occasion.
Bergoch’s best life is when she is wearing scrubs, but that life almost came to an end on Dec. 20.
“It was slightly raining, and as far as I’ve been told, someone pulled out in front of me, and unfortunately, we hit each other pretty hard,” said the ER trauma nurse. “It was very touch and go until we got to the trauma center. They stabilized me very quickly.”
Bergoch woke up in the hospital with no feeling in her right arm. They were able to save the arm in surgery, but the realization is she’ll probably never be able to use it again.
“It's almost like you’ve been living your whole life, and all of a sudden, the mode gets switched to hard," Bergoch said. "There’s things you don’t think about. I don’t know how to write with my left hand. I can’t tie my shoes anymore.”
Nurses from across the country, including her colleagues right here in Tampa Bay, began contributing to a Gofundme account to help Kate readjust to her new life.
“I think nurses have that compassion for their patients, so when one of us is injured or hurt in any way or needs support, I’m very grateful to be a part of a community that is going to be there,” said nurse Mary Matos.
The toughest part for this army veteran and mother of three is that she may never return to the profession she was born to do.
“At this point in time, I’ll never be a bedside nurse again, which I love. I love being in trauma, I love taking care of those patients,” said Bergoch.
Bergoch said the outpouring of support from the nursing community over the past three weeks has made her feel prouder than ever to be part of this profession.
“I get asked a lot in the emergency room, ‘What's the worst thing you’ve ever seen in the ER?’ I’ve never been asked what the best thing in the ER is, and I want to say this was it,” said Bergoch.
For more information on how to help Kate and her family, click here.
