During one of the most vulnerable and stressful times at the hospital, we felt helpless, sad, and overwhelmed. The day we met Mr. Tory Lennox, he was a ray of sunshine and gave us hope with his positive, upbeat greetings when he walked into our room. Tory easily developed a trusting relationship with us as he included the entire family with his radiating approach. We felt like we could relax and eventually started to laugh with Tory.
Tory talked and laughed with my husband about their times in the military, that is what my husband needed at that time. Using his eye gaze device my husband said, "It's been a long time since I talked to another man in the military. Tory made me feel like I was talking to one of my buddies." My husband also said, "Tory is in the right field and we need more professionals in the field like Mr. Lennox." As I watched the interaction with Mr. Lennox and my husband it filled my eyes with tears and my heart with joy.
ALS is quick to advance affecting verbal interactions; regardless of the time it took to communicate and learn how to understand my husband, Tory did it without any hesitation. With this condition people sometimes bypass my husband and talk to me, forgetting that the patient is still there, still human, and still able to communicate with much desire. Tory always strived to keep open communication with all family members keeping everyone informed.
Tory made my husband feel like he was still part of this world; we felt like he cared, and we became part of the SCI family again. Through Tory's efforts in our time of crisis, we were able to regain hope and strength to look forward to better days. The staff was able to better understand us through Tory's advocacy of our unique needs and his ability to be a role for his fellow nurses. We are grateful for Mr. Lennox's nursing passion and compassion for his patients. This experience and situation brought everyone together like a family. I greatly appreciate Mr. Lennox's time, support, and "ray of sunshine."