July 2014
Diane
Moskal
,
RN, BSN
MBC
William Beaumont Troy
Troy
,
MI
United States

 

 

 

We had a patient on SICU that was dying and he had two young children one 12 years old and the other 5 years old. All the staff felt the heartbreak of this young family. Knowing that something needed to be done for this family that was about to lose their dad a call was made to the Mother/Baby unit by the chaplain. He knew they sometimes made small molds of baby's hands and wondered if they might try to make a mold of a daddy's hands for his children, so they would always know he had a hand in their lives. Diane immediately contacted Andrea and sent a text to the chaplain "that they were on their way to SICU."

With the assistance of the patient's SICU nurse the three nurses prepared to cast the patient's hand. While they mixed the casting material it occurred to them that maybe the 12 year old would like to hold his dad's hand while they made a cast of it. The chaplain went to the waiting room and explained what was being done and asked the young boy if he would like to help. A strong "YES" was his response and he walked with the chaplain back to his father's room. The nurses gave him quick hugs and then the instructions. Together, they made a casting of the hand that pitched balls to him and held his hand entering Tiger Stadium.

He would have a casting of that hand forever now and the memory of some nurses who just knew he might want to help.