ZEELAND, Mich. — A nurse in Zeeland has taken on an additional role in her emergency room. In addition to keeping her patients comfortable, she's now keeping them clothed.
FOX 17's Pay It Forward Spotlight Award winner for April is Lauren Vanklaveren.
Unless you work there, an emergency room is not a place you want to be. For some, it can be the worst day of their life.
For those who do work at the Corewell Health Zeeland Hospital ER, they work to make sure if you do have to be there, you're as comfortable as possible.
"It really is an honor to be able to walk alongside people in their need and often suffering and sometimes joy too," shared Lauren Vanklaveren, a charge nurse.
That joy for Vanklaveren comes with a simple act of kindness. She created the Zeeland Clothes Closet.
Sometimes, depending on why a patient is here, they leave with less than they came in with.
"If it's a big accident, we cut all of their clothes off," explained Amanda VanHorssen, the nurse manager. "So essentially everything they came in with is now ruined."
VanHorssen says most people don't want to leave in the hospital-issued attire of paper scrubs.
So they stock the Clothes Closet, which VanHorssen gave up her office for, with all the sizes and season-appropriate clothes a patient may need.
"It's really great to be able to offer people dignity and often warmth ... through clothes," Vanklaveren said. "It might be simple, and small, but I think it matters."
It's that level of comfort Vanklaveren and the rest of the team strives for through all their care.
"I feel really humbled by [the award], because I work alongside amazing people," Vanklaveren added. "I think so highly of them, too. And I feel very honored to be able to do that. But I see the work of my coworkers, too. That's also exceptional. So I'm very grateful to be a part of this team."
Vanklaveren says she got the inspiration from staff who had worked at other facilities that offered something similar. She says the other staff have been so supportive by continually donating clothes that they don't really need donations from the community.
Next month's Spotlight category is first responder.
Know someone who should be our next Pay It Forward Spotlight Award winner? Nominate them here.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube