The staff of 5 South recently suffered the devastating loss of colleague and friend, C to metastatic cancer. C's end-stage cancer was diagnosed days before her husband was due to have a serious operation. She herself underwent two immediate operations in the hopes she could recover enough to spend some time at home. Her biggest concern was that her husband would not have the operation he needed because he was worried about her. Per C, they had no family support system. She said, "We just have each other". With assurances from friends, C convinced her husband to have his operation.
5 South staff rallied behind C and her husband to provide them the support they needed. No one played a larger role than Earl Pittman, RN. Earl gave her husband a ride to the hospital so he could have his operation. After he was discharged, Earl gave him a ride home. He checks on the Veteran at his home on multiple occasions and even provided wound care. He alerted providers to the need for home-based care and assisted with activities of daily living. As this Veteran was unable to care for himself, much less someone else at that time, Earl continued to step up and care also for C.
The excellent care Earl provides for Veterans on a daily basis is such that C named him as her Health Care Power of Attorney. He attended meetings on C's behalf. He made critical decisions to ensure she received dignity and comfort during her final days. He gave her husband the strength and the transportation he needed in order to visit C and say goodbye. Earl was ultimately the one who received "the call" from the Hospice House notifying him of C's passing.
Earl has three young children at home. He did all of this during the time the entire downstairs of his house was flooded. I am honored to know him, work with him, and call him my friend.