A former patient came to Jewish Hospital on 9/24 with a brain bleed from a massive stroke. When I met her she was able to communicate although her headache was quite painful. Her family members were at home, dealing with their own sickness and had not yet been told about their mother’s condition. This patient’s nurse, Michelle Hillery, updated me on the situation and began to advocate for the patient to receive more pain medication and for the doctors to more urgently call the family to tell them the news, so they could be present while their mother was still alert. Because of Michelle’s sense of urgency, I decided to call the sons and home and allow them a chance to talk to their mother over the phone. I knew they did not know the prognosis yet, but I didn’t want them to miss the opportunity to talk with her. For a few minutes Mrs. ___ was able to talk to her sons, tell them she loved them and offer blessings.

By the time the family was told her prognosis and came to the hospital, she was mostly unresponsive. The sons were so thankful for having the opportunity to talk to their mother for the very last time. I know their thanks needs to be directed to Michelle. If it wasn’t for her taking the time to update me on the patient’s condition and share with me the urgency involved, I wouldn’t have pushed for the conversation. Thank you Michelle.