My mother was admitted to EGH for 16 days. During that time, the physicians could not figure out what was really going on with her. There were tests after tests that were ordered and r/o diagnosis after r/o diagnosis. Meanwhile, this awake, alert, oriented, and mentally stable 73-year-old female developed periods of time where she lacked motor coordination, speech, and knowledge of her surroundings. Every specialty that one could think of was consulted. As her stay progressed with no diagnosis found, she was transferred to the oncology unit. Not that this wasn’t scary enough for both patient and family, the day after she transferred, the hospital shut down to visitors due to COVID. There are no words to explain the feeling of helplessness that comes from being a nurse and not being able to be there for my mother when she most needed me. During my mom’s periods of “being with us,” when we talked on the phone, she would tell me about this nurse who brought in the delicious yogurt for her. Now I really thought my mom was still not making sense because she hated yogurt. She even said, “I know I didn’t like yogurt but this nice, night nurse gave me some that she brought from home to try because she said I needed to eat something and nothing was tasting good. She even told me where I can buy it.” My mom was discharged only to be readmitted and eventually came home with hospice and passed very quickly.
I would like for Denise to know what joy she brought to my mom and how highly Mom spoke of her as well as how comforting it was for me to know that there was someone there watching over my mom when I wasn’t allowed. Denise needs to be recognized for her warmth, strength, love, and compassion which she shared with my mother while she was all alone laying there in that hospital bed not knowing what was wrong with her. 
Thank you Denise for providing life’s simple pleasures for my mother during her last week with us and for your compassion and dedication to being what a real nurse should be. Even though I have never met you, you have left a mark on my heart forever.