My mother was brought into the hospital after a catastrophic stroke. When Melissa came on shift, it quickly became clear that she was going to do everything she possibly could for my mother, who was in a comatose state, and her family. We certainly realize how important it must be for nurses to keep a certain emotional distance when caring for dying patients on a day-to-day basis. She somehow did that while going the extra mile for mom. We saw her regularly throughout her shift and she took great care to moisten Mom's mouth and lips every two hours without failure. She also washed my mother's face, removing blood that had been on her ears since she had been injured. She did her best to arrange Mom's hair and make her look better. The care and empathy she showed brought tears to my eyes then, and again now as I write this note. My sister noticed what she had done as soon as she walked into the room. We are especially grateful to her.
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When I came to the hospital, I felt so helpless and felt that no one cared about what I was going through. I recognized Melissa from a previous hospital stay. I knew things were going to be good. She is a guardian angel to me. I felt like I wanted to end my own life and that I was in a very dark place. After talking and laughing with her she made me realize that life is good and people still care. She will always be my guardian angel.