The story I have today isn't specifically about how a nurse affected one specific patient. My brother has an incredible story that I think needs to be shared.

He has been a nurse for well over 20 years and has spent a good portion of it in the home health field. My mom, before us, was also a home health nurse, and she was always very passionate and caring for her patients. I remember her telling me stories of having some patients who were not only ailing health-wise but were also struggling to stay afloat in life. She would randomly pay a bill for them or provide them with a gift card for groceries because that's the kind of person she was. She told me that she never even told them that she did these things; she would just do it anonymously because she wasn’t doing it for the glory but to help people in need. My mom was also an exceptional nurse, getting nominated for the Nurse of Hope in Ohio back in my childhood.

I tell this story because I want you to see the role model that my brother had and why he has likely followed so closely in those footsteps.

My brother originally wanted to get into acting. He has always been a ham, just wanting to make people laugh and bring joy. He realized that making it big in acting probably wasn't going to be the best career choice, so he chose to follow in my mom's footsteps. And boy, what a great fit it was. Gregory is an exceptional and dedicated nurse who develops unbelievable relationships with his patients that go beyond normal care. He brings humor and laughter to lift the spirits of those he cares for. I have heard from the families of the patients he cares for, and they are always left with nothing but wonderful memories of him, and they always speak so highly of the way he cared for their loved ones. He actually had one patient who loved him so much she tried to put him in her will!!

All that to say, a little over two years ago, my brother was diagnosed with cancer. It hit hard. He was still fairly young at 46 with two young daughters and a wife. He wasn't sure what this diagnosis meant. Would he be there to see his girls graduate from college, get married, and have grandchildren? He didn’t know. But he is strong, and because of that, he did something that I find truly exceptional, and it’s why I am sharing this story.

Throughout the next year and the full course of chemo treatments, hospital visits, etc., my brother never missed a single day of work. He would work with his patients to rearrange schedules to ensure that he would still be able to see them. He put his patients’ needs above his own, knowing that they were counting on him, and because he had created bonds with these individuals.

I can’t say enough about this because I know firsthand that if I get a bad cold, I sometimes call off work. This man had a bout with cancer, aggressive chemo treatments, and surgeries, and yet never missed a single day of work because of the kind of work ethic he has and the character he has as a nurse.

I can assure you that there is no patient who has ever crossed paths with my brother who wasn’t better off for it. I can tell you right now that if I or any of my close friends or family ever needed care, I would want it to be from him. Because I know how he can lift spirits, bring laughter, and provide exceptional care with his extensive knowledge and dedication to the field.

 I just wanted to tell his story to recognize what an amazing nurse and person he is, and because he means the world to me.