My grandpa died on December 24, 2017. It was supposed to be an exciting day, but that day quickly turned into one of the worst days of my life.

I got the news while getting hot chocolate at Starbucks. I drove there because wanted to take my mind off of the sadness that my family and I had experienced over the last few days. My grandpa had been in the hospital for days, and the doctors had been working tirelessly to save him.

I will never forget the sadness I felt when I got the news. Although things weren't looking good for him, I had a sliver of hope left. That hope was gone. He was gone. I was devastated. The man who helped me grow up into the person I am today was gone forever.

As time passed, my family kept telling me how they really appreciated the doctor at the trauma center. He cared so much about my family and tried to make them as comfortable as possible throughout this difficult time. My grandpa held the family together, so it was extremely hard on everyone.

He had a trait that I strive to have as a doctor one day: compassion. Even though he couldn't save my grandfather, he made sure to help everyone heal emotionally as much as he could. I have never met this doctor, but I want to. I want to thank him.

I recently started volunteering at a hospital in the city. There's a countdown to Christmas on a whiteboard in one of the hospital wings. As Christmas gets closer and closer, I keep thinking about how much doctors and nurses sacrifice during the holidays. They try their best to cheer patients up during what is supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year."

The doctor that took care of my grandpa had to work on Christmas Eve. He could have been spending time with his family. Instead, he was working hard to help others. Maybe he didn't want to be there that day. I don't know that. I do know, however, that he helped a mourning family through his kindness.

To all of the nurses and doctors who work on the holidays, thank you. Thank you for sacrificing your time and energy into helping others.

Your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed.