Robyn Ringler can remember 10 days in 1981 as vividly as if it were yesterday. The Ballston Lake resident, then 24, was dealt perhaps one of her most challenging cases as an assistant head nurse, when then-President Ronald Reagan became her patient after the March 30 attempt on his life.
The thing I remember most is the image of the double doors bursting open and through it came the stretcher with this very recognizable face on it, his face still covered by an oxygen mask and hovered over his body was Nancy Reagan, said Ringler. `He was surrounded by nurses, doctors, secret service and I helped them settle him into the room.`
Ringler just happened to work on the floor in George Washington University Hospital with the only room specifically designed to accommodate the President of the United States.
`We had the only room that had bulletproof windows and a flat roof outside of it that was perfect for a SWAT team,` said Ringler. `When it was originally built they thought about the idea that a president might come there.`
For the next 10 days, Ringler was Reagan’s night nurse. She said the first two days were nerve-wracking, and contrary to media reports claiming the injured President was doing fine, Ringler said that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
`Those first two night I left feeling like I might never see him again. His face had the gray pallor of a dying man and he was struggling to breathe, spiked a high fever and it looked pretty grim,` said Ringler. `The Washington Post said he was doing fine and everything was going well and that’s the first time I learned you can’t always believe what you read.`
Soon, though, Reagan began to improve with constant monitoring of his blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration rate and chest physical therapy to clear his lungs.
`It was very painful for him and Nancy got very upset every time we did it because it was a hard procedure for him to tolerate,` said Ringler.
Once Reagan was able to sit up and walk, caring for him became almost fun, said Ringler.
`He would tell us about his time in Hollywood when he made movies and he went out of his way to make us feel at ease and comfortable, so it was kind of role reversal; as a nurse, usually we would do everything to make the patient feel comfortable but he was such a nice man,` said Ringler.
Ringler got to know the President on a more personal level and she also shared a moment with the First Lady that not many can say they’ve had.
`She was very upset about her husband’s condition and tense and she asked if any of us [nurses] would consider giving her a backrub,` said Ringler. `I went with her down to President Reagan’s private room and I rubbed her neck and shoulders for about a half hour usually Secret Service were in the room watching us but Nancy shut the door and for 30 minutes I was in Reagan’s room alone with them.`
Reagan insisted on watching replays of his shooting on the news, said Ringler, and would say over and over `I can’t understand this guy’s beef. I can’t understand why he would do such a thing.`
Soon the President’s care was complete, and though he returned to the White House, he left much behind for his caretakers.
`They gave us pins, pens, White House stationary I got a signed ‘thank you’ note from President Reagan and for the next several years I got a White House Christmas card,` said Ringler.
She also has a memento none of the other nurses do.
`The King of Morocco sent [the Reagans] a beautiful silk covered round container deep with chocolate. Nancy said to one of the Secret Service ‘Let everyone eat the candy and give the box to one of the nurses,’` said Ringler. `I went right up to him and said I’d like it so I have this beautiful silk covered box from the King of Morocco.`
Through the years, Ringler kept in touch with members of Reagan’s Secret Service team and traveled to Washington D.C. to pay her respects when her one-time patient died.
She traveled to the Capitol again March 29, and 30 of this year to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Reagan’s assassination attempt. With James and Sarah Brady of the Brady Campaign, Ringler planned to spend a few hours lobbying federal legislators to pass a bill that would ban high capacity magazines like the one used in the recent Tucson shooting.
`More than taking care of the President, I felt the senselessness of gun violence [for the first time],` said Ringler.
Ever since, she’s been an activist for stricter gun laws and Jim Brady, Reagan’s Press Secretary who was also shot that day, invited her along for the 30th anniversary.
`We’re coming to find Republicans in particular who have the guts to stand up to the gun lobby, say ‘Enough is enough!’ and support new legislation that will build on the Brady Law and help protect more Americans from gun violence,` said Sarah Brady.
Ringler is planning to write a book about her 10 days with President Reagan.
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