‘She was my hero’: Family remembers local flight nurse lost in medical plane crash

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - On Thursday, May 14, a medical plane crashed while on a medical mission in New Mexico. A Colorado Springs nurse was confirmed to be among those on the flight. Jamie Novick was identified as one of the nurses on the flight.

Now, KRDO13 is hearing more about her life and legacy and how those who survived Novick hope to honor her. You can read more about the impact she left on those who knew her from her family below.

If you would like to support the Novick family during this difficult time, you can do so at this verified link.

"Our family is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Jamie Virginia Novick, who died at 33 years old while serving as a flight nurse in the mountains of New Mexico. Jamie was part of a medical crew doing the kind of work most people will never fully understand. She stepped into hard, dangerous, and heartbreaking places because she believed helping people was more than a job. For Jamie, nursing was a calling.

Jamie was so much more than the tragedy that took her life. She was a beautiful human being inside and out. She was full of joy, integrity, compassion, and quiet strength. She had a smile that could soften a room, a laugh that made people feel included, and a way of caring for others that felt deeply personal. She noticed people and listened. She asked about your life, your family, your struggles, and your dreams. In a world where many conversations become self-focused, Jamie had a gift for making people feel seen. To know Jamie was to love her.

Being her dad and raising her was one of the greatest privileges of my life. And even though we lost her way too soon, we are grateful for the time we spent with her. I watched my little girl grow into a woman of character, courage, faith, and purpose. She worked hard in school. She was a loyal friend, and she loved her family deeply. She loved her older brother Mark, even though, like older brothers often do, he could drive her crazy. Our family lost Mark in a tragic car accident 13 months ago, Jamie took his passing very hard as you can imagine, and it all relates to how deeply Jamie loved people and loved her brother. Now losing Jamie has brought a level of grief that is hard to describe. Yet even in that grief, we are grateful for the life she lived and the love she gave.

Jamie had the rare ability to be strong and tender at the same time. She was the person you wanted near you when life got hard. She was there with a hug, smile, word of encouragement, or a listening ear. I experienced that personally in a way I will never forget. After a surgery complication, an artery in my neck was nicked, and my neck began filling with blood. I happened to be at Jamie’s house when it happened. She jumped into action, got me to the hospital, and her getting me to that emergency surgery saved my life. As I was being sedated, she prayed for me. When I woke up, she was there. She helped nurse me back to health. I had always known she helped save other people’s lives, but that day I experienced it as her dad. I called her my little lifesaver. She was my hero long before the world knew her name.

Jamie began as a nurse in the medical surgery unit, but soon moved into the emergency room, working overnight shifts, where nurses see some of the hardest moments of human life. When she first started, I remember receiving a phone call from her in tears after one of her first patients passed away. She was questioning whether she could keep doing it. But Jamie pressed forward because she understood that nursing was more than a profession. It was service. It was ministry. It was standing with people and families in moments of fear, pain, hope, and loss. I have no idea how many patients came under her care who survived because of her skill, and I have no idea how many she cared for in their final moments, but I believe that work gave her a deep appreciation for how fragile and precious life really is.

Jamie was also the glue in our family. She helped make sure we got together for holidays, graduations, trips, game nights, and simple family meals. She looked forward to getting everyone in the same room. She loved creating memories, and she understood the value of family being together. She was always the one to make sure we stopped to take pictures of the moment, and her house is decorated with those photos.

We were supposed to have breakfast when she got back from this mission. I was looking forward to hearing more about her work as a flight nurse, the people she was serving with, and how much she was enjoying the teamwork and camaraderie.

Jamie served our country in the United States Air Force, and that service gave her the opportunity to live in different places, including Guam for a season. She carried that spirit of service into every part of her life. She served her country. She served patients. She served her family. She served her friends. She served quietly, without needing attention.

In 2024, Jamie received a Nurse of the Year award. That honor meant a lot to the people around her, but if you knew Jamie, you know she was almost embarrassed by it. She was humble. She did her work because it mattered, not because she needed recognition. Her friends and colleagues at UCHealth knew she had earned every bit of that honor, and our family knew it too.

Jamie was a devoted wife to Ryan. He was her first boyfriend, and they had known each other since they were 15 years old. She loved him, supported him, and believed in his dreams, including his recent work toward becoming a pilot. Their story was one of growing up together, building a life together, and raising a family together.

She was also an incredible mother. She once told me she was worried she might not be a good mom, which says so much about her heart. The parents who care that deeply are often the ones who become extraordinary parents. Jamie loved her children fiercely. She taught them right from wrong. She helped build their character. She poured herself into them. I know I am partial because they are my grandchildren, but they are wonderful children, and so much of that reflects the love, patience, and strength she gave them.

Jamie’s life was full of purpose. She was a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, a nurse, a veteran, a friend, and a servant. She did hard things with courage. She loved people with sincerity. She cared for the hurting. She showed up for her family. She lived with joy and humility.

The world may remember Jamie as one of the heroes lost in a tragic plane crash. We understand that, and we are grateful that people are honoring the crew and recognizing the courage of the work they were doing. But to us, Jamie was our girl. She was Ryan’s wife. She was her children’s mother. She was my daughter. She was the one who brought people together, laughed with us, prayed with us, cared for us, and made life better just by being in the room.

We are devastated, but we are also deeply grateful. Grateful that we had her. Grateful that she lived with purpose. Grateful that she loved us so well. Grateful that her life touched so many people. Jamie was my little lifesaver, my hero, my friend, and my daughter. And I will be proud of her for the rest of my life. 

Jamie had a strong Christian faith and for those of us that have faith, we know that death has been defeated. It's a transition from this life into the arms of her Heavenly Father. I know that when the time is right, she will be there to greet me with one of her big Jamie hugs and then I will have the privilege of having her in my life for eternity."

- Greg Bunch, Jamie Novick's father

Novick's Husband, Ryan Novick, also shared this statement.

"Jamie was one of the most beautiful souls anyone could ever meet. She was loving, caring, compassionate, and selfless.

When I met her at just 15 years old, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Her laugh was contagious, her smile could light up a room, her hugs were genuine, and her words were always gentle. She knew exactly how to encourage you when you felt stuck, lift you up when you were down, and bring light into your darkest moments.

Jamie had an infectious love for adventure. She was always excited about what life had to offer and never passed up an opportunity to explore something new. No matter the circumstance, she found a way to make things happen. She truly lived life to the fullest and made the most of every opportunity and every adventure.

She was the most beautiful bride a husband could ever ask for. We were a team in every sense of the word. We encouraged each other, believed in each other’s dreams and goals, loved each other unconditionally, were slow to anger, and quick to embrace. We tackled life’s hurdles together with a strength and bond few could ever imagine. She was my rock, my better half, and my best friend.

Jamie was an unbelievably devoted mother who always put her children first. Everything she did was for them. She loved them unconditionally, cared for them with all her heart, and constantly encouraged them to be their very best. She was endlessly nurturing, and every decision she made was with their best interests in mind.

The same compassion, courage, commitment, and selflessness she showed her family carried into her careers. Jamie dedicated her life to serving others as an Air Force veteran, emergency room nurse, and most recently, a flight nurse. She cared deeply for everyone she came across.

Jamie’s legacy of love, strength, compassion, and dedication to her family, friends, patients, and community will never be forgotten. Her name and memory will live on forever through the countless lives she touched and through the friends and family who loved her most.

Jamie was one of the most beautiful souls anyone could ever meet. She was loving, caring, compassionate, and selfless.

When I met her at just 15 years old, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Her laugh was contagious, her smile could light up a room, her hugs were genuine, and her words were always gentle. She knew exactly how to encourage you when you felt stuck, lift you up when you were down, and bring light into your darkest moments.

Jamie had an infectious love for adventure. She was always excited about what life had to offer and never passed up an opportunity to explore something new. No matter the circumstance, she found a way to make things happen. She truly lived life to the fullest and made the most of every opportunity and every adventure.

She was the most beautiful bride a husband could ever ask for. We were a team in every sense of the word. We encouraged each other, believed in each other’s dreams and goals, loved each other unconditionally, were slow to anger, and quick to embrace. We tackled life’s hurdles together with a strength and bond few could ever imagine. She was my rock, my better half, and my best friend.

Jamie was an unbelievably devoted mother who always put her children first. Everything she did was for them. She loved them unconditionally, cared for them with all her heart, and constantly encouraged them to be their very best. She was endlessly nurturing, and every decision she made was with their best interests in mind.

The same compassion, courage, commitment, and selflessness she showed her family carried into her careers. Jamie dedicated her life to serving others as an Air Force veteran, emergency room nurse, and most recently, a flight nurse. She cared deeply for everyone she came across.

Jamie’s legacy of love, strength, compassion, and dedication to her family, friends, patients, and community will never be forgotten. Her name and memory will live on forever through the countless lives she touched and through the friends and family who loved her most."

- Ryan Novick, Jamie Novick's husband

Before becoming a flight nurse, Novick had worked in the emergency room at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central. She also served in the U.S. Air Force.

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