An elderly woman was brought into the emergency department by medics for increasing shortness of breath. She was also suspected of having COVID and because of this was placed in isolation. Shortly after her arrival, she needed to be intubated due to her poor oxygen levels and work of breathing.
Chrissy was also orienting a newly graduated nurse and helped the provider intubate the patient. The patient's vital signs began to decrease, and she went into cardiac arrest. Chrissy and a team of healthcare providers stayed in the room covered in full PPE with the glass door closed to ensure that minimal people would be exposed. Recognizing the poor prognosis for the patient, the provider placed a call to the son for him to come in to make treatment decisions.
When the son arrived, he fell into the chair placed outside of the glass doors to his mother's room, and began to cry. The team was actively performing chest compressions and administering medications to restart her heart. Chrissy held the patient's hand while placing her other hand on the glass door of the room so the son could act as if he was holding his mother's hand. He yelled out "Mom I love you," and eventually asked that any further life-saving measures be stopped.
After Chrissy left the room, she hugged the son and stated, "Your mom knew how much you loved her," and "We were with her the whole time and took care of her."
In a time of social distancing and isolation, having a human connection is still able to occur. Chrissy's ability to connect a son and his mother during the last moments of her life will forever affect them both. Her willingness to share herself during this significant moment in time is a testament to her compassion and empathy. Chrissy modeled the mission of Atrium Health by providing healing words to a son who had just lost his mother.