PBSC Foundation Board Chair Ricky Wade’s Personal Story of Recovery
The fear and loneliness of an intensive care unit can be overwhelming.
When Palm Beach State College Foundation Board Chair Ricky Wade found himself at Good Samaritan Medical Center, he expected quality care but not from who would give it, his own good Samaritan.
As with far too many over the past two years, COVID had put Ricky in the ICU for seventeen solitary days. “The nights were the worst,” recalls Ricky. “I was afraid to sleep, the anxiety unbearable.” Several nights into his stay, Ricky was greeted with something unexpected: “Is that you, Mr. Wade?”
Palm Beach State graduate David Baldeo (RN) had been working the night shift at Good Samaritan. During his time at the College, he was the student representative on the Foundation Board with Ricky guiding him as a mentor for several years. Now, the student was poised to be the mentor, a caregiver when he was needed most.
Immediately, the miserable nights that haunted Ricky became tolerable as he looked forward to David spending extra time with him, an intangible that would bring solace and help accelerate Ricky’s recovery.
As a high school senior, David began his academic journey with the College’s early admissions program in Fall 2014, leading to Associate in Arts and RN degrees. Earning his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Palm Beach State in 2019, David took his first position with Wellington Regional Medical Center.
“The hands-on skills training of PBSC’s nursing program gave me tremendous confidence when I started working in the field,” recalls David, commending his professors and program. Today, David is giving back as an instructor with the College’s Health Sciences skills lab, aiding students in their future roles as medical professionals.
Ricky’s time with David reflects the impact Palm Beach State is having on real lives throughout Palm Beach County. Since discharge and recovery, Ricky has celebrated a birthday and has kept in touch with David, who is pursuing his Master of Science in Nursing and recently overcame COVID himself.
As life is often stranger than fiction, this story reminds us that we never know who we’ll need or when they’ll appear. There is a term that describes a chance encounter beyond coincidence: godincidence. Ricky makes clear with absolute conviction, “God planted him for my recovery. David was a godsend.”
