UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes struggled to contain his emotion as the nurse described his journey to recovery.
On Tuesday, Hughes, 43, returned to the hospital that treated him following a horrific truck-train collision in June. He was there to attend a private ceremony for nurses Ashley Hull and Megan Simpson, who were honored for going above and beyond following the accident.
“My family and friends have told me that the entire team at St. John’s was really good to me and all of them,” Hughes said in a release posted by HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill. “It means the world to me. Thank you all so very much.”
Hull and Simpson, who work in St. John’s intensive care unit, both received the nationally recognized DAISY Award, which honors extraordinary nurses. They were nominated by Hughes’ longtime friend Tony Zucca, who’s updated fans on the UFC Hall of Famer’s comeback since the accident.
“Being able to be a small part of Matt’s miraculous recovery is nothing short of amazing,” said Hull, a fan of Hughes from his days in the UFC. “Matt, Audra, Tony and the rest of his family and friends are all an inspiration to me, and the absolute perfect example of why I became a nurse. Thank you doesn’t seem to be enough. I am honored and humbled to have been his nurse.”
Hughes was placed in a medically induced coma with a brain bleed after his truck crossed a set of railroad tracks near rural Raymond, Ill., directly in front of an oncoming train. Pat Miletich, his longtime teammate and coach, speculated Hughes was trying to beat a long wait for the train and spun his wheels on the gravel prior to the tracks.
Initially, there were conflicting reports of Hughes’ recovery before he took a turn for the better. According to the hospital, he was transferred to an outside facility in Springfield, Ill., as his condition improved. Two months after the accident, he was awake and getting some sushi with Zucca, and then on the mats doing jiu-jitsu with him.
“Ashley Hull and Megan Simpson were blessings in the middle of a nightmare,” Zucca wrote in his letter nominating the nurses. “While everyone at St. John’s was wonderful, these two nurses simply went above and beyond and brought as much peace and calm to our lives that was humanly possible. They were extremely patient and knowledgeable with our countless questions; they would bring coffee when our eyes couldn’t stay open a minute longer. And the professionalism they displayed instilled confidence in us in that we knew Matt was in great hands.
“They are masters of their craft and the most caring nurses I have ever encountered. Matt has a long road ahead of him, and I can say with certainty that the family wishes Ashley and Megan could stick with us every step of the way. St. John’s should be proud of employing people of their caliber.”
The hospital’s president and CEO also gave Hughes a crucifix that hangs in all of the patients’ rooms.
“Being a nurse means stepping into the lives of strangers and allowing them to lean on you in their darkest hours,” said Simpson. “It is a great honor that Matt’s family and friends trusted me to care for him. Accepting the DAISY Award from the Hughes family and Tony Zucca is something I truly will never forget. Seeing Matt healthy and thriving is exactly the reason why I love being a critical care nurse.”
Hughes was contemplating a comeback to MMA when the accident occurred.
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The Blue Corner is MMAjunkie‘s official blog and is edited by Mike Bohn.
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