On Friday, my husband was rushed to Overlook Hospital's ER. He had been battling an aggressive form of kidney cancer for several months. He was in treatment and doing fairly well but experiencing some side effects, including some nasal and oral bleeding.
On this evening he quite rapidly lost his ability to walk and communicate clearly and we rushed him to the ER. Over the course of the night, it became apparent that the bleeding was caused by a critical condition. As explained to us, there were complications from his treatment, a combination of very low platelets and an infection. In the end, all these things resulted in a brain bleed which could not be fixed by a neurosurgeon and we learned very suddenly and unexpectedly that we were no longer in treatment for cancer, but the end of life care.
Our family was devastated by this news and could barely process what was happening. When we were finally moved to the ICU, Rebecca was our nurse. This was a small miracle in and of itself as Rebecca's husband has been a friend of our son's for years and somehow on that night, we had the good fortune to have her as our nurse. It was such a comfort to see a familiar and caring face in the ICU, but the reason I am writing this recommendation with the full support of my family is that Rebecca was so much more than a familiar face.
Rebecca was compassionate, kind, capable and in every way possible demonstrated the intelligence and thoughtfulness she brings to her job as an ICU nurse. Despite being unconscious, my husband continued to bleed orally and required constant care. Rebecca was gentle and protected us from any form of discomfort and distress. She cared for my husband, she looked after us and she made sure we understood what was happening. She explained, sometimes more than once to different members of our family, everything we had questions about. Very simply, she was a true professional, demonstrating empathy, competence, intelligence and thoughtfulness in all ways. Her presence of a senior person was a significant experience that conveyed and inspired our confidence in her. When it was clear we would not be leaving, she went above and beyond including making sure we had food and water. She was really remarkable and despite our deep sorrow at this moment, we were impacted and touched by her kindness.
Rebecca is a jewel and a significant asset to Overlook Hospital. At such a difficult time for our family, she was truly a godsend.