Denise Reese, RN, South 3 and Renee Sanchez, RN, MIC are two nurses who have displayed compassionate and empathetic care for their patients. Denise Reese was caring for the wife of a veteran who had spent many hours at her bedside. Denise found out that the husband had been a WWII pilot and wanted to do something nice for him on Veteran's Day 2016, so she arranged through Best Upon Request to have a candy bouquet and a balloon delivered to him while he was at his wife's bedside. It was after this celebration that Denise learned that this veteran's heart was indeed heavy as not only was his wife ill, but his son was in our MIC unit and the plan was to terminally wean the son from the ventilator. The veteran knew that his son would die when this happened and that his wife would never get to see her son again.
This is when Denise had a wonderful idea. She called Renee in the MIC and explained that her MIC patient's mother was also a patient in the hospital and she wanted to bring the mother and son together for the terminal wean so that they could be together for the last time. This was not an easy feat as the mother was too ill and weak to ride in a wheelchair to MIC. Denise and Renee worked with their supervisors and arrangements were made to let the impossible happen. With the help of other staff, the mother on South 3 was taken in her bed to her son's bedside in MIC. This loving mother was given time to be together with her son before the ventilator was removed. The mother and son held hands during the entire process and after her son had taken his last breath, not a dry eye could be found in the unit.
Denise and Renee were instrumental in making this special farewell memory happen for this mother and father. They represent the best of the nursing profession and I am thrilled to know this type of compassion and caring are here at RCH and making a difference in our patient's lives.