Aly Vandenheuvel
July 2022
Alyssa (Aly)
Vandenheuvel
,
RN
West 6 Med/Surg Trauma
North Memorial Health Hospital
Robbinsdale
,
MN
United States

 

 

 

She supported every tear I shed and got me the resources I needed to make the painful decisions of having the surgery and then letting her go. I know I would have collapsed if it wasn't for Aly.
I am so sorry this has taken me so long to send this in, but I could not go without doing this. My dad died and a month later my mom broke her femur/hip and was admitted. She was there for five days before she passed. When my mom was admitted, never did I dream that she would not be coming home. She was 93 years old and there were a lot of decisions that needed to be made.

With Covid restrictions and family dynamics, I was the only one visiting my mother during this time. I had to decide if she should have had the surgery. Aly was there every step of the way. She supported every tear I shed and got me the resources I needed to make the painful decisions of having the surgery and then letting her go. I know I would have collapsed if it wasn't for Aly. I didn't understand a lot and she explained it all in terms I could comprehend. She knew I was still mourning my dad and now my mom.

When I left, I asked her name because I needed her superiors to know she was the best nurse I have ever encountered. With my dad dying, Covid restrictions, and my mom dying I think of Aly often and am so thankful that her shift was during the time I was there. Please tell her I said thank you and please recognize her excellent work well done.


***

My husband was a patient with severe head trauma. One morning when I went to visit him, I greeted him with "Happy Anniversary" because it was our 48th wedding anniversary. Aly was in the room and said Happy Anniversary and just in conversation was asking us what type of food and activities we enjoyed doing. An hour later she arrived back in the room with a beautiful HUGE red balloon, ice cream, french silk pie, and several puzzle books. That wonderful and kind gesture made for an anniversary never to be forgotten! Her compassion and excellent nursing skills are a heartfelt gift to us and North Memorial.