My 83-year-old father was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma. I drove from Maryland to North Carolina to be with him for his first chemo treatment. We went to the hospital with my 80-year-old mother that suffers from dementia. We were told that only one of us could go in the back with my father. Because my mother suffers from dementia, we did not want to leave her alone in the waiting room. Shanet came to the rescue. She got permission from the supervisor for both of us to be with my father. We were moved to a bigger room and throughout the six-hour day, she explained every little aspect of the treatment. She made sure my father had food and water. She got pillows for my mother and a different chair with armrests so she would be less likely to fall out. She offered food and water, blankets, and pillows several times throughout the day.

Shanet single-handedly made a day of chemo as pleasant as it could possibly be. Her smile lights up the world. It was obvious that this is not just a job for her. It is obvious that she truly cares. The second day of treatment with a different nurse sadly was the opposite experience. The nurse would only allow one of us to be with my father. I was very upset. Again, the previous nurse came to the rescue. Shanet came to the waiting room to comfort me, gave me a hug, and said she would make a note in my father’s file that given my mother’s mental health issues, they should accommodate us and allow both of us to be with my dad. My words are not adequate to explain how much it means to have a nurse that truly cares at a time that is frightening for the cancer patient as well as the family.