Patty Mc Cabe

McCabe is a dedicated pediatric nurse. She coordinates the children's activities, purchases decorations, sews costumes for the children, and solicits donations from the community. When McCabe, herself a cancer survivor, lost her own hair to chemo treatments, she visited her patients with cancer on the unit to encourage them and assure them “bald is beautiful.” She was the primary nurse for a teen with terminal cancer. He was in denial that his death was imminent. He started to talk a lot about his upcoming birthday and picked a date. His parents kept trying to correct him indicating it wasn’t for several months. But McCabe sensed the importance of the birthday, so she planned a birthday party for him on the day he had picked — complete with cake, candles, presents, music, and balloons. Everyone, family and friends celebrated his “birthday” at his bedside with gusto. He was happy and told everyone it was his “best birthday ever.” Soon afterward, he slipped into a coma and died before reaching his actual birthday. His parents thanked McCabe profusely for listening — really listening to their son.