Selina Falesch
March 2018
Selina
Falesch
,
RN, BSN
Surgical unit
Advocate Sherman Hospital
Elgin
,
IL
United States
To come up with the right words is hard because I am a nurse and the daughter of a patient whom Selina cared for many times throughout his cancer battle. Selina and my dad met in August 2016 on his first admission for dehydration after a very strong chemotherapy. He frequently had Selina as his nurse and if she was not and saw him, she would pop up for a visit.
Then treatment plans changed, and he did not have many visits for quite a while, but when she saw me she would ask how he was and to tell him hi from her. In early September 2017, his health declined, and he made the choice to go into hospice. When I saw Selina, I let her know and she asked for his address to send him a card and offered help if we needed it. Well, we quickly came to a point when we needed help, I asked her to take care of him every Thursday, and she agreed to it. But, on Monday, when I was caring for my dad I noticed a decline and I needed more assistance to move him and provide care for him. I texted Selina that night and asked if she could help the next morning with my mother-in-law, who has no medical background. The text I received back was "yes, I will be there as soon as I get my daughter on the bus". Selina took the time to shave and wash my dad. She saw the decline as much as I did so when the hospice company showed up that day she pushed for him to be transferred to their inpatient facility. I was so thankful for that so that I could continue working that day. She waited for the transport company and was with him until they drove away.
When he arrived at the facility he continued to decline quickly and he took his last breath that night. Without Selina, I do not think he would have had the peaceful death that he had. The following day I called and let her know that he had passed away and how thankful I was for her being our "angel" on his final day. Selina will always be an angel to my dad, since his first admission to Sherman Hospital in August 2016 to October 2017. In my mind, she went beyond to drop everything on her day off, so she could help and spend time with whom she enjoyed talking to, laughing with and teasing. Thank you, Selina, for everything.
Then treatment plans changed, and he did not have many visits for quite a while, but when she saw me she would ask how he was and to tell him hi from her. In early September 2017, his health declined, and he made the choice to go into hospice. When I saw Selina, I let her know and she asked for his address to send him a card and offered help if we needed it. Well, we quickly came to a point when we needed help, I asked her to take care of him every Thursday, and she agreed to it. But, on Monday, when I was caring for my dad I noticed a decline and I needed more assistance to move him and provide care for him. I texted Selina that night and asked if she could help the next morning with my mother-in-law, who has no medical background. The text I received back was "yes, I will be there as soon as I get my daughter on the bus". Selina took the time to shave and wash my dad. She saw the decline as much as I did so when the hospice company showed up that day she pushed for him to be transferred to their inpatient facility. I was so thankful for that so that I could continue working that day. She waited for the transport company and was with him until they drove away.
When he arrived at the facility he continued to decline quickly and he took his last breath that night. Without Selina, I do not think he would have had the peaceful death that he had. The following day I called and let her know that he had passed away and how thankful I was for her being our "angel" on his final day. Selina will always be an angel to my dad, since his first admission to Sherman Hospital in August 2016 to October 2017. In my mind, she went beyond to drop everything on her day off, so she could help and spend time with whom she enjoyed talking to, laughing with and teasing. Thank you, Selina, for everything.