Dear Becky, it's been a little over a week since my wife's passing. I've had a bit of time to reflect on our 39 years of marriage, along with the duration of her final illness and time spent at Howard County Hospital. If you recall one of our many conversations on her last day, we spoke at length about how coincidental it was that Thursday and Friday were the first times that Nancy was assigned to you. You believed that it was meant to happen, not just coincidence; I may have been reluctant to agree with you at first, but by the time you finished out your shift that night and went home, I was convinced you were 100% correct!! I have never, during any of N's multiple, lengthy stays in various hospitals, met anyone like you! The care and compassion you gave to both N and myself were almost superhuman. You helped put the most difficult day of my life in perspective, which helped me immensely during the process of making the decision with N to end treatment and support and to submit to the inevitable a bit easier. Your words of compassion and reassurance meant the world to me as I was wrought with guilt and confusion. Your good night hug gave me the first sense that the right choices for N were made, and that, in time, I would be okay. Words will never express the gratitude I have for you; the two days you spent with us were absolutely meant to happen. I'm convinced you were sent to be there for both her last good day and then her final day. As I told you, I'm not a religious person, but N was, and I'm certain that she would have agreed with my opinion also. You were absolutely meant to be an ICU nurse, and I am forever indebted to you. 

Please give my deepest thanks to the entire nursing staff in the ICU and CCU. We became friendly with many of them over the course of both of N's stays at HCH, and everyone treated N with exemplary care and compassion.   

You are all in my thoughts and prayers daily (yes, I have found some comfort in prayer during N's illness and since her passing).