In isolation at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, 38-year-old IT worker Nic Brown received uplifting notes through a glass window from health care staff every day. When he was discharged, he decided to return the favor.

At the Cleveland Clinic MICU in Cleveland, Ohio, 38-year-old IT worker Nic Brown was alone in an isolated room, breathing through a respirator, after contracting what he had originally thought was the flu. Since all COVID-19 intensive care patients are in isolation, Brown wasn't able to interact directly with those outside the room. He did, however, have a glass window, which he used to express a note of appreciation to the dedicated health care attendants outside (with the help of a nurse).

The Clinic's "Patient Stories" says Brown and his nurses exchange notes every day. The nurses would write positive notes on his frosted-glass window every day so he felt less alone, and he wanted to return the favor. Brown asked a nurse to help him write his message since he was too weak to do it.

“Every day I was there, especially when I was on a ventilator and full life support, the staff would write on the window the goals for me to try and reach each day,” he said. “They would encourage me. One day someone wrote, ‘We will get you home.’”

He says health care staff would also smile, wave, or flash thumbs-up signs as they walked past his window throughout the day.

As he was leaving intensive care, he asked a nurse to help him write a thank-you note goodbye.

“I watched you work hard to keep me and others alive, unable to thank you for the time that you poured into me— and although I will probably never get the chance to pour that same love and support into you, I want you to know that I think you all are rockstars," the note read.

“Part of why I left the note on the window is because I don’t know that I’ve ever seen such selfless people in my life ... They don’t know me, but they cared for me like I was a member of their family. It’s been life-altering,” Brown said. 

Brown originally believed he had contracted the flu, when his condition escalated quickly. After moving from MICU to general patient care, he has since been discharged from the Cleveland Clinic and is now at home recovering with his wife and three children.

What's the most inspiring act of kindness you've witnessed this week? A smile, a "thank you," or even a positive social media post can go a long way.