My aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer and uterine cancer since 2019. She had received her first chemotherapy treatment here at Overlook with Mayra Giz-Marin as her first nurse. My aunt was terrified, rightfully so – and was so, so anxious to have to go through such an anxiety-inducing time. Mentally, she was affected greatly. However, since the beginning, she always spoke so highly of the care she got. It was past closing time for the infusion center, as my aunt’s treatment ran late, but Mayra and Kim Colasanti and Gina de Furia were there at the center to ensure everything went well with her. Mayra had even walked my aunt to the car as my mom picked her up. Both women, since the beginning, saw firsthand how amazing, compassionate and caring these nurses were. Throughout her treatment, as an outsider at first, I could also see how well they treated her.

My aunt, in the darkest part of her life, always beamed with joy when talking about her nurses. Whether she was getting blood transfusions or chemotherapy infusions, the one thing I knew was that she was in good hands – and she knew that, too. In a sense, the overwhelming anxiety she felt constantly abated with her time with our nurses. My aunt was a very stoic woman and found difficulty in opening to people she did feel comfortable or safe with, so the fact that she had become friendly with so many nurses on the team and our admin, Sully Varela, was a testament to just how close-knit and caring this team was and still is.

Unfortunately, through last year, her cancer returned and metastasized quickly. Whenever she needed hydration, they were always open. When I needed to accompany her to her doctor’s appointment, the girls would cover patients for me so that I could go. In such a scary time, I knew I could fall back on them, and they would hold me up, even if my legs were ready to give way. They were constantly there to support me and my family through this time as we noticed my aunt was only getting worse as the days went by. I could not tell you how many times I would cry or express my stress to the team, only to be met with overflowing support. When I was at my weakest, they would prop me up, and for that I will always be grateful.

In October, my aunt was admitted to the hospital, where she quickly declined, and we had to place her on hospice. Seeing my aunt in that state, when just recently, she had told me she loved me, quite literally broke me. I had taken the week off to be with her for her last days, as doctors told us it would only be a matter of time. I wept and wept, beside my mom, as she lost her best friend and I lost my 2nd mother. My team visited on Halloween in their costumes that we planned months prior.

In such a dark, sad room, their brightly colored scrubs, makeup and care bear ears brought some semblance of joy. Katie Hoy, Kim Colasanti and Sully Varela, who I am very close to and who were close to my aunt, came to visit us in her room. Took time out of their day to visit us. We shared laughter as we reminisced about our times with her, we shared tears and we shared a very long, tight embrace that I would hold dearly and close to my heart always.

When my aunt went peacefully in the morning, surrounded by her loved ones. My team immediately reached out to me to send their condolences and lent their support. I am lucky and blessed to have such a great team behind me who were always so open to giving so unconditionally their time, love and blessings. Losing my aunt was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through, but this team truly, truly cushioned the blow, and for that, I will always be thankful. I am so blessed and honored to be working alongside this team of nurses whom I will be naming so that they may be all recognized for what they have done for me and my family. Mayra Giz-Marin, Gina de Furia, Kim Colasanti, Brittany Ackershoek, Milene Ramirez, Katherine Hoy, Mia Aguiar, Tara Donnelly.

Gina de Furia is an extremely dedicated and decorated nurse who has been practicing longer than I have been alive. I am lucky to sit and work beside her as it’s given me opportunities to pick her brain and model my nursing practice after her’s. She is the senior nurse I aspire to be. She gave the first Taxol chemotherapy infusion in the hospital. She is always willing to teach and educate me on nursing care and chemotherapy. She is a staunch advocate for patients at all times and I admire that immensely. I say this with confidence in that all of our nurses here in the infusion center see Gina as a nurse that we can look up to and see her as one of the main nurse leaders on such a large and broad team of nurses and offsites as well.