My friend was hospitalized with a severe brain hemorrhage in the emergency room and moved to an ICU in the early morning. The family and I felt like we went on a roller coaster ride of emotions with facing the reality of having him extubated or continuing life support. With the tremendous support of the team members on Lunder 6, we decided to have our dear friend/family member removed from life support. This decision was discussed with nurse Angela who acknowledged our decision with great compassion, filled with supportive acceptance.
After our discussion, Angela went into first gear, gathering the team to prepare. She diligently followed through with our Asian philosophies, regarding timing the extubation with planetary timings. She prepared my friend with a clean shave and appropriate dress for our culture. This gave our family the utmost peace and was a solace to us during such a difficult time. During the entire shift, Angela was constantly checking, making sure the comfort of the patient was maintained. She always focused on making sure the patient had dignity and humanity at the end of his life. She also gave us great strength during such a hard moment.
For us, Angela was the modern-day Florence Nightingale - filled with warmth, compassion, and great human sensitivity. This fearless, devoted nurse provided a peaceful environment for our grief-filled moments. Hats off to Mass General and Angela.