As a probate judge, I have also come to have great admiration and appreciation for those among us who have the rare ability to effectively communicate complex ideas to those who have no expertise in the subject area being discussed.

McKenna Redmond, a nurse at Northside Hospital-Cherokee, exhibits that rare ability.

I came to know Ms. Redmond as she provided top-quality care for my mother, who was a patient at Northside Hospital-Cherokee for almost three weeks.

My mother is in her late 80s and has several ongoing health issues that require constant management and supervision. She experienced an acute health issue unrelated to her ongoing problems that ultimately required hospitalization and surgery, all done at Northside Hospital-Cherokee, followed by a lengthy period of recovery.

During the period of her recovery, those caring for her at Northside Hospital-Cherokee faced the challenge of helping her recover from the surgery, while also re-striking and maintaining the delicate balance that is the proper management of all of her pre-existing health conditions.

The process proved to be a two-steps-forward, one-step-back event that lasted just over two weeks. My mother’s mental and physical suffering was significant during this time, and as her care partner, I was well aware of the medical problems she was facing.

I was no longer the person called upon to explain complicated concepts and processes in an accessible way; rather, I was the one needing someone to explain complicated things to me. McKenna Redmond bridged the gap at the hospital, both for my mother and for me.

I often visited on my way home from work, and I came to rely on McKenna Redmond to keep me informed of and help me understand the ups and downs my mother had experienced each day, and to help me understand the big picture concerning my mother’s care.

I found that she was exceedingly patient with me and with my mother as we peppered her with questions on the little details of my mother’s care, and that she was very knowledgeable and highly competent in all areas. I don’t think I ever asked her a question that she could not answer to my satisfaction.

I also saw her advocate for my mother from time to time when it appeared that my mother was at risk of falling through the cracks with the various doctors that were attending to her, and, through this, our trust in McKenna Redmond rapidly became (and remains) exceedingly strong.

Throughout my mother’s stay at Northside Hospital-Cherokee, I came to feel that the connection we had made with McKenna Redmond was something special, but I wondered whether McKenna felt the same. That is, until today.

As I type this, my mother is once again a patient at Northside Hospital-Cherokee.  Today, she is a patient on the same floor where McKenna works, but on a different wing and under the care of a different team. McKenna has heard the news of her hospitalization somehow and, though McKenna is not responsible for her today, McKenna has gone out of her way to check on her and me throughout the day. Her efforts to go the extra mile to care for us, at a time when we are not her responsibility, are something I will not soon forget.

McKenna Redmond has truly made a difference for my mother and for me, and we are grateful.