My mother was admitted to WellSpan York Hospital due to a heart attack. Over the course of the next two months, we learned she had stage 3 metastatic ovarian cancer, which caused blood clots. These clots led to four strokes, a second heart attack, brain bleeds, and a host of other medical issues. My mother passed away.

During most of her stay in the hospital, Riley was a constant bright light. She kept my mother comfortable and kept our family calm and informed. I cannot emphasize enough the relief I felt when I knew Riley was on duty.

As my mother’s illness progressed and after she underwent a second procedure to remove a brain blood clot, she became extremely irritated and refused to wear her oxygen mask. The situation became such that my mother shouted, “DNR, DNR” and a host of other obscenities directed at my sister and me. I was barely holding it together in my attempt to stay calm. 

My mother was and will always be my entire world, so having her in such a state was something that took a huge emotional and mental toll on me. I share this because at the height of this ordeal, through the obscenities and shouting and crying, I turned around to the door and there stood Riley. It felt like a miracle, an angel standing in the doorway. Riley had taken time out of her own day and from her usual unit just to come see my mother in the ICU. A coincidence, perhaps, but seeing Riley made me drop all my defenses and collapse into her with a hug. I sobbed into Riley, and she was able to get me calmed down again – not my own sister who was in the room, but this nurse. 

I will never forget the kindness Riley showed my mother, my family, and me during the dark days in the hospital. She saw me at my very worst and brought me back to a better version of myself. I will be forever grateful.