Nurse and former patient reunite after 25 years

Hadassah Willig fell into a coma as a child 25 years ago, and last week, she finally met the pediatric nurse who was by her bedside.

Since being treated at Cohen Children’s Medical Center for encephalitis in 1992, Willig, now a nurse at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream, never forgot the nurse who cared for her as a five year old: “Nurse Maxine.” A former Plainview resident, Maxine Hogan, now resides in Florida with her family. She flew to New York to reunite with Willig on July 14.

When the women finally saw each other for the first time, a long hug and emotions took over. “I believe Maxine is the reason that I became a nurse,” Willig said.

The reunion was equally gratifying for Hogan.

“This was so special, and it really speaks to the profession of nursing and care,” she said. “I’m honored that Hadassah wanted to find me and I’m proud of her.”

Their history began in 1992 when Willig, was admitted to Cohen Children’s Medical Center (formerly known as Schneider Children’s Hospital) with a form of encephalitis that had her in and out of a coma for weeks. Willig says she remembers hearing what the doctors were saying around her. She also never forgot her favorite nurse.

“I always felt comforted when Maxine was around because of how she took care of me. She was a very calming person,” Willig said. “I remember she used to take me to the recreation room to hear people singing ‘Old McDonald.’ She also brought arts and crafts to my room because she saw that I liked to create things. I was a five-year-old, in the hospital, and she made me feel safe, so she obviously had a wonderful effect on me.”

For Hogan, who was a nurse at the children’s hospital until 1994, the reunion started out as a surprise. She got a call earlier this year from a representative from Northwell Health.

“I was told that a patient I cared for in 1992 was looking for me,” Hogan said. “I was shocked. Completely shocked.” She is still a pediatric nurse working for Broward Health in Coral Springs, Fla. “I knew I was going to come back to Long Island to meet Hadassah when I heard she wanted to find me. I just had to work out my schedule to make it happen.”

On Friday, the two women met again, not as nurse and patient, but as two nurses, who are both mothers and also share the same faith.