March 2014
Lynne
Proctor
,
BSN, RN, CN3
R6-Ortho-Neuro
Maine Medical Center
Portland
,
ME
United States
Lynne Proctor went "above and beyond the call of duty" to do something very special for a patient and here is the story.
There is a patient, K, who has been on R6 for over 2 months. K suffered an injury leaving him challenged with speech. What the staff discovered is that he can play the guitar and had been a member of a band! One of the staff members from rehab medicine brought in her guitar for K to play. Although he couldn't speak well, he sure could play the guitar! His guitar playing brought music to the halls of R6 and put a huge smile on K's face as well as those of the staff. After about a week, the guitar was gone. The therapist needed to take it back home. K was disappointed because guitar playing helped him with this expressive recovery and also helped pass the time as he would be with us for a long time due to placement issues. Having that guitar seemed to have great meaning to him since he had lost so much of his self-worth and pride.
Lynne began asking what we could do to replace it. There were no guitars available in Rehab medicine or on BBHC. Lynne was not discouraged. She called Goodwill, but hey had no guitars. She then "googled" guitar donations and found Fender Guitar. She contacted Fender and explained her need for a guitar for a very special patient. After telling some of K's story and sending proof of MMC's non-profit status, Lynne received the news she had been hoping for. Fender had just shipped a brand new acoustic guitar to MMC. Lynne could barely contain her excitement. She invited all of his care team to be there when K received his guitar. All were gathered in the R6 solarium when K walked through the door. He had no idea what was going on. Lynne invited him to sit next to her and she began reading something she had written for him. She only got to the second sentence and K started to cry. When she finished reading, she presented K with his own brand new guitar. He began to play and the music returned to the halls of R6.
Lynne is deserving of the DAISY Award because of her extraordinary act of kindness and compassion for her patient. She not only lifted the spirits of the patient, but of the entire staff at Maine Medical Center.
There is a patient, K, who has been on R6 for over 2 months. K suffered an injury leaving him challenged with speech. What the staff discovered is that he can play the guitar and had been a member of a band! One of the staff members from rehab medicine brought in her guitar for K to play. Although he couldn't speak well, he sure could play the guitar! His guitar playing brought music to the halls of R6 and put a huge smile on K's face as well as those of the staff. After about a week, the guitar was gone. The therapist needed to take it back home. K was disappointed because guitar playing helped him with this expressive recovery and also helped pass the time as he would be with us for a long time due to placement issues. Having that guitar seemed to have great meaning to him since he had lost so much of his self-worth and pride.
Lynne began asking what we could do to replace it. There were no guitars available in Rehab medicine or on BBHC. Lynne was not discouraged. She called Goodwill, but hey had no guitars. She then "googled" guitar donations and found Fender Guitar. She contacted Fender and explained her need for a guitar for a very special patient. After telling some of K's story and sending proof of MMC's non-profit status, Lynne received the news she had been hoping for. Fender had just shipped a brand new acoustic guitar to MMC. Lynne could barely contain her excitement. She invited all of his care team to be there when K received his guitar. All were gathered in the R6 solarium when K walked through the door. He had no idea what was going on. Lynne invited him to sit next to her and she began reading something she had written for him. She only got to the second sentence and K started to cry. When she finished reading, she presented K with his own brand new guitar. He began to play and the music returned to the halls of R6.
Lynne is deserving of the DAISY Award because of her extraordinary act of kindness and compassion for her patient. She not only lifted the spirits of the patient, but of the entire staff at Maine Medical Center.