Joy has been assisting my mother in Trauma Step Down Unit of Orlando Health. My mother is 89 years old and experienced an arm fracture, Bell's Palsy, and 8 rib fractures during the past week. Yesterday was the most difficult day of my mother's life and I truly know that she would not have awakened today without the care of Joy. She was giving up yesterday and every minute was an hour for her as she was forced to endure the pain of a lifetime after the insertion of a chest tube. I am sure Joy has served many patients during her career. Yesterday was a demonstration of her skills and character, and I know each patient she has served will remember her and how she gave a little piece of herself to each of them.
We always ponder the beautiful act of witnessing the first person a baby sees when their eyes open for the first time. Yesterday I pondered the possibility of those same eyes when someone closes them for the last time. Joy's LOVE for my mother as a patient was profound. My mother stated at one point that Joy was an angel. It is clearly evident that nursing is Joy's PASSION as her hard work and personal sacrifice are offered every minute of every day. Joy's eyes see the wholeness in a person.
She EMPATHIZES with a patient's pain and suffering and sees them as who they once were and hopefully who they might be again. Her LOVE for patients and the nursing profession was demonstrated when she assisted my mother with achieving a bowel movement. Her words of encouragement and her gentle hands of kindness granted my mother a wave of strength. Any shame my mother felt regarding the act was erased. It was not a task to complete but a SELFLESS act of service.
Whenever a colleague was present, Joy introduced them and communicated their positive attributes. She enabled a bond of TRUST to emerge with others even when she was not present. What my mother feared most this year transpired - being in the hospital during the pandemic. The nursing profession certainly cannot serve at a distance. Joy served my mother in a profound and mysterious way. I had a sense that Joy was being used by unknown forces. Joy has the capacity to find the hidden and innate light that surrounds each of us and truly lift the other up and heal them with her skill and gift of healing of connection.
All we truly have is each other during 2020. Joy assisted my mother in finding a way out of the darkness of pain to have hope that she might return home again. I will leave this hospital broken open.
Note: This is Joy's 2nd DAISY Award!