Emma Blethen
May 2021
Emma
Blethen
,
RN
Medical Oncology
Central Maine Medical Center
Even though his prognosis was terminal, given the care and support he received from Emma he never lost sight of his dreams.
Please be advised that in the emotional intensity of the whole situation surrounding my brother's battle with cancer and his hospitalizations, not only did he bond with Emma, but others in our family did too. Following his passing, one thing led to another, and I asked Emma if we could meet one another, which we did. I’ll be forever grateful to God for orchestrating the opportunity to meet her. Going forward, Emma and I have every intention of staying in touch.
Our brother was a CMMC patient on M1 three times. Emma cared for him one or more nights during each hospitalization. He passed away at his home. Our bother first met Emma in April. He was to undergo a de-bulking of cancer in his abdomen, to be followed up with a hot chemo wash. Unfortunately, once he was opened up, the surgery was aborted by his surgeon, feeling that it would do more harm than good. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, no one was allowed to visit him in the hospital. In addition to staying in close contact with his wife, he texted extensively with me in group texts with other family members, as well as with each of us individually. Many of the text messages don't reference Emma, however, they put our brother's frame of mind during his hospitalizations into perspective. Quite readily, and magnified by the visitor restrictions, Emma emerged as an important empathetic member of our brother's support network.
Even though my brother had a painful cancer diagnosis for the last year of his life, he is remembered as a man of unwavering dreams. The care that he received at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) particularly under the skilled and emotive care of Emma aided him to pursue his two personal goals. His characteristic upbeat attitude in the face of considerable physical discomfort is evidenced in part by the email and cards he was sending to me and my husband before he died.
Even though his prognosis was terminal, given the care and support he received from Emma he never lost sight of his dreams. Our family has no doubt that Emma was THE medical professional primarily responsible for extending his quality of life. By profession, our brother was a high school freshman mentoring teacher. By avocation, he was a builder. At no time, did Emma discourage him from dreaming. Her supportive attitude, while he was facing grim prospects and pain, gave him at least 6 more months of life contributions. He considered Emma to be his Guardian Angel.
Our brother was a CMMC patient on M1 three times. Emma cared for him one or more nights during each hospitalization. He passed away at his home. Our bother first met Emma in April. He was to undergo a de-bulking of cancer in his abdomen, to be followed up with a hot chemo wash. Unfortunately, once he was opened up, the surgery was aborted by his surgeon, feeling that it would do more harm than good. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, no one was allowed to visit him in the hospital. In addition to staying in close contact with his wife, he texted extensively with me in group texts with other family members, as well as with each of us individually. Many of the text messages don't reference Emma, however, they put our brother's frame of mind during his hospitalizations into perspective. Quite readily, and magnified by the visitor restrictions, Emma emerged as an important empathetic member of our brother's support network.
Even though my brother had a painful cancer diagnosis for the last year of his life, he is remembered as a man of unwavering dreams. The care that he received at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) particularly under the skilled and emotive care of Emma aided him to pursue his two personal goals. His characteristic upbeat attitude in the face of considerable physical discomfort is evidenced in part by the email and cards he was sending to me and my husband before he died.
Even though his prognosis was terminal, given the care and support he received from Emma he never lost sight of his dreams. Our family has no doubt that Emma was THE medical professional primarily responsible for extending his quality of life. By profession, our brother was a high school freshman mentoring teacher. By avocation, he was a builder. At no time, did Emma discourage him from dreaming. Her supportive attitude, while he was facing grim prospects and pain, gave him at least 6 more months of life contributions. He considered Emma to be his Guardian Angel.