Halfway through a grueling 12-hour overnight shift at Omaha’s Methodist Hospital, registered nurse Jason Heimes popped the question to certified nursing assistant Ashley Jensen in the hospital's break room. Heimes works directly with COVID-19 patients in the North Tower's Progressive Care Unit and Jensen is assigned to the Short Stay Unit on the South Tower’s fifth floor.
Despite their shared emotional stress and exhaustion, Heimes was determined to create a memorable moment for his girlfriend of three years. Just after midnight, he proposed exactly where their love story began.
Co-worker Lucy Miranda-Gonzalez and seven other colleagues witnessed the scene as Heimes went down on one knee with a diamond ring in hand and asked Jensen to marry him. The group had been instructed by Heimes to wait outside the break room and then surprise Jensen by entering loudly at the very moment of the proposal.
On Instagram, Jensen posted a series of proposal pics along with this caption,”What a dream. Jason popped the question last night where our love story began on the progressive care unit (now Covid unit) at Methodist Hospital. Of course I said yes. I love you to the moon and back Jason. I feel like the luckiest woman alive! Thank you to all that helped Jason make this so special.”
She punctuated the post with two emojis: a blue heart and a diamond engagement ring.
Heimes, who has worked at Methodist Hospital for eight years, told the Omaha World-Herald why it was so important to include his colleagues in the proposal.
“They’ve always been super supportive of us,” Heimes said. “They’re like family to us.”
Miranda-Gonzalez, who captured the proposal on her smartphone, described the scene as “beautiful, fun, uplifting and heartfelt.” She said the proposal brought positivity to her and other nurses during these stressful and uncertain times.
“We are grateful that this can still happen among the chaos,” she told the publication.
Methodist Hospital gave the couple a shoutout on its official Facebook page: “Congratulations to Methodist Hospital's Ashley Jensen, CNA, and Jason Heimes, RN, from the entire Methodist family! Sending you our love and gratitude for all you do to care for and protect our community. Thank you for sharing your love story!”
Jensen noted that if she and her new fiancé can get through this pandemic together, they can get through anything.
“This will bring us all together, and we can really see what matters in life,” Jensen told the Omaha World-Herald. “And that love conquers all, really.”
Credits: Photos via Instagram.com/ashley_.jensen.