All comfort measures were instituted in the CCU tonight for a very young patient. His admission was under very sad and unfortunate circumstances and the outcome, although not at all unexpected, is heartbreaking. His entire family is, of course, surrounding him at the bedside. His mom, at the center and incredibly strong, despite being so heartbroken, she is certainly the pillar of everyone else around her. I wanted to reach out to all of you because I witnessed something so incredibly beautiful that it brought me to tears. Sometimes I think it can be hard for those who have not been on that side of the bed or having never experienced something quite so raw and difficult to really understand what that kind of grief is like. Death is hard under any circumstance, but when unexpected and you are ill-prepared, that adds a whole other layer of pain. It's Mother's Day weekend and as a mom, I cannot imagine the amount of grief that this patient's mother must be feeling. There is something so unfair and unnatural about having to bury a child and as a young mom, it is something I hope I never have to experience personally.
Wanda was the nurse caring for this patient and to be honest, she has been holding this family together throughout the shift. Wanda went one step further tonight though when the decision was made to withdraw care. She allowed for the family to hear this patient's heartbeat using a stethoscope and then she led everyone in the room in a very personalized prayer while adjoining hands. After removal of the ETT, we made room in the bed so that his mom could lie with him as he passed. Her words were beautiful and just seeing the calm that evolved over that room was such an amazing yet incredibly moving moment for all involved. I think having reflected on this and it being Nurse's Week, I can say with certainty that these are the kind of moments that keep many of us here practicing at the bedside. How beautiful a gift it is to give comfort to a grieving mother who lost her child far too soon. Wanda is a talented woman of faith and she allowed herself to show such vulnerability at that moment. I will never forget how she supported this family tonight. I only hope that if ever faced tragedy again, someone will be there to give me such strength and support.