Christopher Sepe, BSN, RN

I am writing this on behalf of my son, a three-time cancer survivor who is now battling terminal brain cancer. Chris was the nurse who admitted him to the unit following a long night in the ER. He was only his nurse for a few hours, but he made a lasting impression on my son.

He was engaging and made him feel like an adult while also making sure we both understood what was happening. Fast forward a few weeks, and he was re-admitted, with Chris as his nurse for three days in a row. This admission has been much different, as he is dealing with a serious form of pneumonia while also navigating end-of-life issues.

Chris has been there for him each step of the way—not only to care for him but also to establish a rapport that makes him feel seen and validated. He and Chris are fairly close in age, and there are moments when he feels like he has a friend instead of a nurse. From a mother’s perspective, watching my child with a terminal diagnosis experience those moments of normalcy means everything.

I rarely leave him when he is inpatient, but I left for over eight hours on the weekend when Chris was his nurse because I knew I wouldn’t have to worry for a second. He had other family there as well, but I felt confident that my son would be able to advocate for himself and feel safe with me gone as long as Chris was there.

He has been talking about and planning for his end-of-life care, and Chris was there for those really hard conversations, validating and supporting us beyond measure. He spent as much time as it took to make him—and me, too—feel comfortable with the decisions being made. Chris handles himself with the knowledge and skill of a nurse far beyond his years.

I am so very grateful that he has been part of my son's care and his story. The gravity of hospice, a DNR order, and countless unexpected complications has been easier to process and cope with because of Chris. His presence and care for my child allowed me to be a better mother.

There is no adequate thank you for that.