Mississippi Heroes recognize Memorial Hospital oncology nurse

For the last year-and-a-half, Mississippi Heroes has been recognizing caregivers for all that they do for others. Tuesday night, at Memorial Hospital, the organization celebrated a professional caregiver for the first time.

Nurse Efua Asiedu was surprised Tuesday evening at work and recognized for all she does for her patients.

Asiedu was nominated by the wife of a former patient of hers, Rachel Barajas.

Barajas’ husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and the couple spent many nights on the oncology floor of Memorial in 2018 and 2019, including an unexpected trip to the hospital the night before Thanksgiving. “We were here all night long and for the rest of the night she kept coming in and checking on us and she wasn’t even our assigned nurse for the night. So that really stood out to me. So, after she did that okay this girl needs to be recognized in some way. I’m just happy that I was able to finally recognize her and tell her how special she is to us. And always will be.”

“I enjoy listening to them and talking to them and hearing all their stories and all of that. So that’s the part that I like the most. And it makes me happy to see them doing well.”

“You were really dedicated to Mr. Barajas and I like to acknowledge that. You were. You were. And I appreciated everything that you did for him.” “Thank you for saying that.”

Asiedu was gifted a spa day at the Island View Casino Resort and dinner at the Harbor View to take some time to take care of herself.