December 2014
Angela
Coats
,
RN, BSN, CHPN
Pain and Palliative Care
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital
Downers Grove
,
IL
United States

 

 

 

Angela was caring for a terminally ill mother. The patient was struggling with leaving her teenage daughter and son without her there to guide them. Angie worked with the patient and offered to create a "Legacy" binder with greeting cards that the patient could write for her daughter and her son for future occasions. With her own funds, Angie purchased a binder, assorted greeting cards for graduation, birthdays, Christmas, weddings, birth of a child, etc., a journal and pens for the patient to start her Legacy work. She searched for, and found, a quote to put on the front of the binder: "She who leaves a trail of glitter will never be forgotten". Then, of course, she found glitter to decorate the front even further. She presented the binder to the patient the following day so that the patient had time before she became too weak to leave a written legacy for her children.

Angie went above and beyond in showing compassion to this patient.