My father was admitted into the hospital and began the fight of his life. He was admitted with complications from the flu, which then progressed, to a very severe and antibiotic resistant form of MRSA. Our time at the hospital was spent between the ICU, CCU, and other floors of the hospital. While we encountered many great and compassionate nurses and staff members, none compared to the care and compassion shown by Kayla.
My father's journey in the hospital was a rollercoaster. Every day it seemed like we took one step forward and two steps back. Finally, after 2 months, everything seemed to be going right. He was breathing on his own, had his tracheostomy removed, was eating real food again, and was even walking and sitting in his chair. Hopes were high and there was talk of moving him to an extended care facility so we could finally bring him home.
After a couple of weeks, he began getting really sick again and it was discovered that the MRSA infection had returned with a vengeance. After fighting so long, he was tired of the testing, the needles, and he was unable to fight any longer. After speaking with the doctors, my mother and I made the decision to honor his wishes. His medications were stopped and the ventilator use was discontinued. The next morning, my father passed away.
During those last few days, Kayla was the quiet voice of compassion, care, and respect. Kayla spoke and acted in ways that showed she genuinely cared about not only my father but also the whole family. She monitored the hallway to ensure we were given privacy. Kayla watched the clock to ensure she gave us plenty of time to be alone as a family, but not to let too much time pass by without checking on my mother and me. She quickly took on my mother and me as patients as well to ensure we ate and took care of ourselves. From the first day, Kayla became a watchdog over my father to make sure his morphine dosage was correct and he was comfortable. She was always accurate and tidy when attending to her duties as a nurse. She never left medical supplies scattered around, she did not have to do multiple needle sticks or fumble with medicine changes, and she always explained to us exactly what she was doing every time she entered the room. Kayla would always speak to my father when she was in his room checking on him, even when he was sedated, showing how much she respects and cares for her patients. I could continue to ramble about the extraordinary care my father received from Kayla, but my words will continue to fall short. I am forever grateful to Kayla for all that she did, not only for my father but also for our entire family during those last few days.