Rising floodwaters, a torrential downpour, and winds that topped 60 mph couldn’t stop one dedicated home care nurse from delivering patient care.
While wrapping up one patient visit and readying to drive to the next, Deb Miller, a Redeemer Health Home Care Nurse Case Manager, faced down severe weather conditions to save the day. The frightening torrent of wind and water might have unnerved and sidetracked many people, but Deb, a nimble problem solver, held tight as water brushed against her knees and surrounded her in all directions.
Despite the massive flooding, Deb managed to get her car to a higher area and waited to see if the bay would recede. It didn’t. After the state police said they couldn’t physically get to her, she was stranded.
When her adrenaline kicked in, Deb’s quick-thinking revealed another way. Knowing there are higher parts of town that may not be flooded as badly, Deb called a friend and asked, “If I can get to the center of town, can you pick me up?” She abandoned her car and made her way to the beach.
"My thought process was if the bay is in, the ocean is out, and I should have enough sand to walk on,” Deb said. And walk she did, although she describes it as being blown down the beach. It required her scrambling over high dunes to get to the beach and anchoring herself against the high winds, all the while getting pelted with rain and sleet.
After 22 blocks, a soaking Deb safely reached the center of town and her waiting friend, who drove her 25 miles so she could reach home.
But the story doesn’t end there. Without a second thought, Deb changed into dry clothes and headed out so she could attend to a patient who required wound care in North Cape May.
Deb proved herself an unsinkable hero. While amazed at the conditions that Deb surmounted, Veronica Schuck, Deb’s supervisor, wasn’t surprised by her tenacity. “That’s what it’s all about. We have a dedicated team always there for their patients to make sure they are safe and well cared for. They go above and beyond to embody our mission to Care, Comfort, and Heal.”
