A gravely ill young man in his thirties, dying after a three-year fight with cancer, was admitted to ENT/Internal Medicine. He was admitted for worsening mental status and generalized weakness. In addition, he was experiencing seizures, and pulmonary emboli. His prognosis was very poor, but he and his fiancé had hope. They had Hope that he might survive and had a dream to live, marry, have children and grow old together.
Our patient and his fiancé met in college on a blind date and have been together ever since. They had a romantic relationship and he proposed marriage to her on a Ferris wheel. They greatly looked forward to spending a lifetime together. Then things dramatically changed and from the onset of his cancer she was there to help and comfort him. She was his rock, she helped him be calm when he was anxiety ridden, and she was the first person he looked for when he woke up. They were soul mates and their relationship reflected a deep love for each other.
During this hospitalization, he rapidly declined and the difficult decision was made to transition his care to hospice. They wanted him to be able to make it home to have a simple wedding. However, time and his medical illness were against him and it became apparent that he would not make it home. To honor their dying wish to marry, the fiancé, patient, family, and nursing staff decided to have the wedding in the unit, in the patient's room performed by their pastor. The nurses coordinated the arrangements and they were married.
Written by the Nurse Manager: "It was through the kind and loving act of the nursing staff that they were able to celebrate a moment of profound joy in their immense grief and pain. There are not enough words to describe how I felt when I saw the pictures and spoke to the family about the event. It was one of most touching moments - one of the most extraordinary acts of compassion - that I have known the staff to do. I am so honored and humbled to work with such extraordinary nurses. It is with great pride that I nominate the ENT/Internal Medicine staff for the DAISY Team Award."
The ENT/Internal Medicine Team of Nurses:
Cassandra Bush, RN, BS
Carolyn Mofidi, RN, MS CMSRN
Nonnato Sapico, RN, BSN
Feyseng Saechou, RN, BSN
Daniel Aquino, RN, MS, CMSRN
Kim Schuckert, RN, CMSRN
Encar Arenas, RN, BSN
Alex Jimenez-Torres, RN, BSN
Michael Bragonje, RN, BSN
Margarita Velarde, RN
Emily Okumura, RN, BSN
Melody Thai RN, MS, RN-BC