Dani Larson
July 2025
Dani
Larson
,
RN, CCRN
Critical Care
Mayo Clinic Health System - Eau Claire
Eau Claire
,
WI
United States
Before we left, she gave me a blanket that had been on my husband's bed to give to our dog, to help bring her comfort. She sleeps with her head on that blanket now.
Dani would be a ray of light in what was to become the most horrific day in our lives. After a visit to the ER, which led to a transfer to the CCU the previous night, Dani was the day nurse for my husband. After I left him about 1 a.m., they had put an intubation tube in, and Dani would never get the pleasure of knowing my husband awake.
She would not get to experience his charm, humor, or kindness. There would be a constant rotation of family in his room all day, and Dani was gracious, kind, and compassionate to every single one. There were constantly things going on to try to save my husband, from tubes to medications to monitors, that needed to be continuously tended to. We were at his side, holding his hands, all day long, and never once did Dani make us feel like we were in the way or an inconvenience to the care she needed to give him. She worked around us. You have no idea the comfort and peace this gave as we were able to be at his side and let him know we were there.
As the day progressed into the evening, we came to the unthinkable realization that my husband was not going to come back from the damage his body had already done. Dani did all she could to try to comfort us and to keep in mind things that he would like, such as music playing. We had made the decision to shut down the medications, which would ultimately shut down his body, as the time of her shift was ending. I expected that she would go and let the night nurse take over, but she would do no such thing. She stayed with us until the very end.
We had talked about how I would have liked our dog to be able to see him before he passed, and she relayed her similar wishes for her dog. Before we left, she gave me a blanket that had been on my husband's bed to give to our dog, to help bring her comfort. She sleeps with her head on that blanket now. I can only imagine the peace and closeness she must feel to her dad now that he’s gone.
We all hugged Dani as we had developed a bond that is like no other, and her compassion will never be forgotten. She is an angel in a position where she witnesses immense sorrow, yet also the joy of those fortunate enough to leave those walls. Thank you, Dani, for taking such heartfelt care of not only my husband but also his family in what has now become the most difficult thing we have to navigate.
She would not get to experience his charm, humor, or kindness. There would be a constant rotation of family in his room all day, and Dani was gracious, kind, and compassionate to every single one. There were constantly things going on to try to save my husband, from tubes to medications to monitors, that needed to be continuously tended to. We were at his side, holding his hands, all day long, and never once did Dani make us feel like we were in the way or an inconvenience to the care she needed to give him. She worked around us. You have no idea the comfort and peace this gave as we were able to be at his side and let him know we were there.
As the day progressed into the evening, we came to the unthinkable realization that my husband was not going to come back from the damage his body had already done. Dani did all she could to try to comfort us and to keep in mind things that he would like, such as music playing. We had made the decision to shut down the medications, which would ultimately shut down his body, as the time of her shift was ending. I expected that she would go and let the night nurse take over, but she would do no such thing. She stayed with us until the very end.
We had talked about how I would have liked our dog to be able to see him before he passed, and she relayed her similar wishes for her dog. Before we left, she gave me a blanket that had been on my husband's bed to give to our dog, to help bring her comfort. She sleeps with her head on that blanket now. I can only imagine the peace and closeness she must feel to her dad now that he’s gone.
We all hugged Dani as we had developed a bond that is like no other, and her compassion will never be forgotten. She is an angel in a position where she witnesses immense sorrow, yet also the joy of those fortunate enough to leave those walls. Thank you, Dani, for taking such heartfelt care of not only my husband but also his family in what has now become the most difficult thing we have to navigate.