My father was admitted to the ICU in November. Unfortunately, his condition had progressed to the point where his family was bound to honor his wishes, and his care reverted to "comfort care" as he began his transition to meet Jesus. All during that day my father was surrounded and comforted by a large number of family members, friends and his clergy. As the day progressed into the night, he was still on his journey and had not made the transition. Unfortunately, the ICU was at capacity, and late that night, the ICU room he occupied was needed for another living soul. So, late in the evening, my father began his last journey in this world when he was transferred from the ICU to Oncology. Jill, his late shift ICU nurse, was very caring and compassionate and stayed with my dad as long as possible during this move across seven buildings. My wife and I made this journey with my father. When we arrived on the Oncology floor, Tara Bright, the head nurse, immediately introduced herself and had already provided us cots in my dad's new room to ensure that we were accommodated. As Tara assisted her staff in the placement, she immediately made sure that all our needs were addressed. As we discussed my dad's conditions, Tara was very helpful in answering all of our questions and making sure that his last minutes on this earth were as peaceful as possible. Tara stayed with my wife and I as we passed along some stories from the previous days in the hospital and my father's life. Tara knew that my dad did not have much time left on this earth and made sure that she stayed by our side as he completed his final journey. Tara was standing beside my wife and me as Dad took his last breath on earth and transitioned over to meet Jesus. While we were only on the Oncology floor for less than one hour, Tara did an incredible job of making us feel loved, comfortable, and accommodated. We wanted to give special thanks to Tara for showing us that care, love, and compassion during the final minutes of my dad's life. Further, we wanted to thank all of the nurses and doctors that treated dad during his last days in the ICU. We truly appreciated the professionalism and caring of the entire staff on that floor.
Note: This is Tara's 2nd DAISY Award!