Chrissy Shepard cared for my grandfather, M, after he took his final turn for the worst. Chrissy was with my grandfather during his final two days on earth.
Though he was unconscious, Chrissy spoke to my grandfather, tried to comfort him, and ensured he was comfortable during his final hours. Chrissy rarely left my grandfather's room and went above and beyond the call of duty. Chrissy could have just left my grandfather there to rest but she did not. She remained present, kind, caring and compassionate.
In February my grandfather was not well. In March we got a call that my grandfather had taken a turn for the worst. I arrived at the hospital 15 minutes after receiving the call. Chrissy already had him on morphine and a CPAP mask, and she told me it was to keep him comfortable until all family got there.
When I got there, she had also ordered us a snack tray and beverages, made his room bigger and brought extra chairs so our whole family could be by his bedside. Chrissy closed the door and gave our family the privacy we needed during such a difficult time, but she came in several times to check on us, see how we were doing, and to ensure my grandfather was comfortable.
After my grandfather passed my entire family could not stop talking about Chrissy and the care and compassion she exhibited. She made one of the worst times of our lives a little more bearable through her actions. We will never forget you, Chrissy. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Chrissy is more than deserving of this award. She is the epitome of what an ICU nurse should be.