Gregory Taplin
July 2023
Gregory
Taplin
,
BSN, RN
Oncology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston
,
MA
United States

 

 

 

It's amazing to see another human being actually Be Human to a person who feels like so much less than that.
Greg is a really special guy! Within 5 minutes of meeting him for the first time, I watched him spoon-feed my sister ice so that she would be able to swallow her medication. The way he just naturally jumped right into doing that, No Hesitation! It was extremely touching. My sister has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that has now spread to her liver. Recently, they gave her just days to live. It's amazing to see another human being actually Be Human to a person who feels like so much less than that. Through the rest of his shift, he interacted with her children and her fiancé. I watched him literally dab at the corners of her mouth to remove food particles as if she were his own sister. HE was fully respectful and informative every time he entered the room. He made sure to be present whenever the other members of her health team came with updates. All the while doing little things in the background during these briefings (removing excessive trash food trays, refilling her ice pitcher, etc.).

Lastly, he played a pivotal role in our effectors to attain additional services regarding her current end-of-life coordination. We were having difficulties attaining a lawyer to oversee guardianship designation, and Greg even facilitated this through his own suggestions and research. Because of his help, we were able to get a lot further in our plight.

I will remember him for the rest of my life; he is a true demonstration of compassion, kindness, patience, and brotherly/sisterly love. Whatever happens with my sister, Greg was able to shine a little light into what has been a very dark time in our lives.