CLEVELAND — Isaiah Rivers, 21, just graduated from Kent State University last May. Now, he's in his first year as a registered nurse at Euclid Hospital.
It's a tough job, but he was born to do it.
“I tell people, only thing I care about is people," Isaiah told us.
As Brianna Williams, his girlfriend of three years, puts it, there are many reasons why people get into nursing, but for Isaiah?
"He has a loving, very loving, kind personality. He's a leader," Brianna said. “I tell him every day how proud I am of him and how big of a deal he is to be working ... I mean directly in the hospital, in the emergency room.”
He's in an ER with COVID-19 patients. It's something Isaiah never imagined facing in his first year.
“I didn't think I'd ever seen anything like this where it changes the whole world around us this much," Isaiah said.
An unfamiliar world, he's working in, without hesitation.
"At the end of the shift, you're like, 'Wow, well at least I was able to make a big impact on this whole thing," Isaiah said.
He doesn't want to take all the credit though, because he admires those around him.
“I do have a very, very important job and our job is not close to possible without the doctors, we've got respiratory therapists, nursing aides, housekeeping. It’s impossible without these people. So it's not just nurses, it is a whole entire team," Isaiah told us.
Still, there are a lot of people who want to say thank you, to him.
And we wanted to show our gratitude, too.
Isaiah's favorite eatery is Texas Roadhouse. So, the national chain donated $100 for his service.
When we asked him what he would first want to do after restrictions are lifted, Isaiah said "Cedar Point." The amusement park donated a pair of free tickets to him,
And, lastly, Isaiah loves the Cavs. "Mr. Cavalier" himself, Austin Carr, surprised him with a video message of thanks.
At the end of it, he invited Isaiah to a game when they start playing again.