Nurse Gives The Brand New Shoes Off Her Own Feet To A Patient In Need

April 13, 2024

Today's good news story comes from Madisonville, Kentucky.

A nurse in Kentucky has captured the admiration of many after selflessly giving away her new shoes to a patient in desperate need.

nurse gives shoes off feet to patient
Lou Coulon / Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville

Lou Coulon, a dedicated nurse working in the endoscopy unit at Baptist Health Deaconess, arrived for her shift on a chilly March day, completely unaware that she would be departing shoeless. The act of generosity was sparked by a memory of a patient she had encountered months earlier. The patient, returning for another appointment, was still wearing the same shoes with holes in them.

"The laces were all shredded, and the soles were torn up," Coulon said. "You could see through the sides."

That's when Coulon decided to give the patient the shoes that she had on her feet. The shoes she offered were brand new, a pair she had just purchased for herself.

Despite her initial reluctance to part with her newly purchased footwear, a persistent inner voice encouraged Coulon to proceed.

"Something was just nudging me. I heard a voice saying, 'Hey, take off your shoes'," she shared.

Left shoeless for her journey home, Coulon ingeniously crafted makeshift footwear using socks with rubber grips, a thoughtful provision by the hospital for patients. "I put them over my socks," she laughed, "I thought, 'Oh, that will get me to the car'."

The heartwarming aftermath of Coulon's act was witnessed when the patient and a loved one returned to the unit.

"Later, when the patient and her loved one came back to the unit, he saw the new shoes and was so excited for the patient, he said as soon as we get home, I'm throwing these old shoes in the trash. They were both so excited and appreciative," Baptist Health Deaconess shared.

But Coulon's act of kindness did not go unnoticed. Brooks footwear, the brand of her donated shoes, learned of her selfless gesture and generously sent her a voucher to replace the shoes she had given away.

Watch the good news video below.