Ruth
Van Gerpen
,
RN
My husband was diagnosed with leukemia. I had previously had interactions with Ruth and knew she was excellent but she far surpassed any of my expectations. During my husband's stay in the hospital which covered a total of 5 months, Ruth served as an amazing resource. She taught us about leukemia, helped us to know what questions we needed to ask the physicians. She spent hours with us helping us to come to grips with what we were dealing with. Ruth coached and helped the nurses with the chemotherapy that needed to be given. Many days she just listened. Ruth was the first person in the room when we heard that my husband was in remission. She also was there on the day of discharge to wish us well. She even showed up at one of my husband's baseball games in the spring as she knew that coaching was so important to him.
And now my husband has relapsed. Unfortunately the majority of our care is going to be in another city which means Ruth won't be there. We did take a detour and ended up back here last week. Ruth came to find me on day 1 to ask how things were going. She then went and spent time with my husband. And again, she listened.
The DAISY Award was meant for Ruth. She has a passion for the work that she does. Bryan and our patients are so incredibly blessed to have her as a member of our team. My husband and I are so grateful that we have met Ruth, and we will forever call her our friend.