Elena Gonzalez
November 2023
Elena
Gonzalez
,
RN
Cardiovascular ICU
University of Michigan Health at Michigan Medicine
Ann Arbor
,
MI
United States
They spent many long days together talking about what was growing in the garden and where the best biking trails are located. My husband could be a stubborn and grumpy man that many people had a hard time dealing with, but Elena found the parts of him that were lovable and brought those out in him whenever she was around.
Elena cared for my husband from his first day in the hospital after his surgery until his very last moments. My husband and I considered Elena a special friend. They bonded over a shared love of the outdoors and food, and we all enjoyed the many bedside conversations about both!
His hospital stay was filled with complications, procedures, additional surgeries, and tests. While Elena was his nurse, she did her best to instill hope in my husband and to explain the intricacies of the various medical procedures that he was going through. She assisted him through the initial post-operative recovery period, where they spent many long days together talking about what was growing in the garden and where the best biking trails are located. My husband could be a stubborn and grumpy man that many people had a hard time dealing with, but Elena found the parts of him that were lovable and brought those out in him whenever she was around. He even promised that once he recovered, he would invite her and her family over for a big lasagna dinner at our home. And while there, he planned to show her around the orchard. Unfortunately, instead, he returned to the ICU multiple times, and each time, Elena would come by and check on him, along with the rest of the family. She wanted to catch up with all of us and see how things were going. It always brightened his more difficult days to see her familiar face.
My husband eventually grew more and more ill, and eventually, we faced the decision to terminate his care. My husband would not have wanted to live in the condition that he was presently in. Elena was there to talk us through what this would look like and what our options were at the time. As a family, we decided to ask Elena to be the nurse to help him pass away in the hospital. The kindness and compassion she showed our family during that difficult time will never be forgotten.
My husband always told us that Elena was his favorite nurse, and I wanted to let her know how much she meant to us in the nearly one year that we knew her. She embodies the most important qualities of what a nurse can be, and we are forever grateful for that!
His hospital stay was filled with complications, procedures, additional surgeries, and tests. While Elena was his nurse, she did her best to instill hope in my husband and to explain the intricacies of the various medical procedures that he was going through. She assisted him through the initial post-operative recovery period, where they spent many long days together talking about what was growing in the garden and where the best biking trails are located. My husband could be a stubborn and grumpy man that many people had a hard time dealing with, but Elena found the parts of him that were lovable and brought those out in him whenever she was around. He even promised that once he recovered, he would invite her and her family over for a big lasagna dinner at our home. And while there, he planned to show her around the orchard. Unfortunately, instead, he returned to the ICU multiple times, and each time, Elena would come by and check on him, along with the rest of the family. She wanted to catch up with all of us and see how things were going. It always brightened his more difficult days to see her familiar face.
My husband eventually grew more and more ill, and eventually, we faced the decision to terminate his care. My husband would not have wanted to live in the condition that he was presently in. Elena was there to talk us through what this would look like and what our options were at the time. As a family, we decided to ask Elena to be the nurse to help him pass away in the hospital. The kindness and compassion she showed our family during that difficult time will never be forgotten.
My husband always told us that Elena was his favorite nurse, and I wanted to let her know how much she meant to us in the nearly one year that we knew her. She embodies the most important qualities of what a nurse can be, and we are forever grateful for that!