My wife, R, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 2009. In 2022 she had exhausted all the treatment specific to her type of breast cancer. Other treatment options available were extremely painful and debilitating without providing any meaningful life extension and certainly no quality of life. She decided to enter hospice care in August of 2022 and was clear that she did not want any major intervention other than to make her comfortable when the time came. We were introduced to Tyler, the nurse Devotion Hospice assigned to R's case. Right away Tyler demonstrated her professionalism in a way that put R and her care at the center of Tyler's focus. R was a nurse for 22 years before her cancer diagnosis and knew what constituted a good nurse. She always spent time attending to R's needs while having a conversation with her, not just talking but a real conversation.

In December, R's health really started to fail as the cancer continued to invade other organs. One night R coughed up several large blood clots and was bleeding profusely. I had always thought that R would eventually pass quietly, just going to sleep and not waking for a merciful ending. The thought of such trauma at the end never entered my mind. I did what I could to control the bleeding until Tyler arrived. Tyler quietly took control of the situation. First, she assured me that I had done the right and appropriate triage. Next, she addressed the obvious discomfort R was experiencing. She was on the phone with the physician to approve increasing the pain medication and to try to get other types of pain medication that we did not have on hand. All the while, she calmly and efficiently explained what she was trying to do. Tyler would take time to come to talk to R in such a calm voice and hold her hand during this whole traumatic time.

When R passed, Tyler was there to such wonderful support. All of us, though grieving, were grateful for her support. She gave us all the time we needed to sit with R and to say our goodbyes. She then excused us so she could clean up R with dignity as she had blood and some tissue on her face and in her hair. After a short time, she let us back into the bedroom to sit with R who looked beautiful again. Tyler took care of calling the funeral home and attended to all the other administrative requirements quietly and efficiently. She kept us informed of everything she was doing. After they took R's body to the funeral home, she sat and talked with us. She brought such a peaceful feeling to the room. Tyler didn't heroically save anyone's life but she made a horrible and traumatic experience less traumatic and horrible.

I was married to R for 40 years. I am glad Tyler was there for my family and me to make such a horrible experience so much better than it otherwise would have been. We all still remember very clearly how heroic Tyler was in our eyes on the worst day of our lives.