February 2009
Patty
Mccabe
,
RN
Pediatrics
UC Davis Medical Center and Ambulatory Care
Sacramento
,
CA
United States

 

 

 

Patty McCabe is such a dedicated pediatric nurse. She coordinates all the childrens activities, purchases decorations, sews costumes for the children, goes to the community and solicits donations. When Patty, herself a cancer survivor, had lost her own hair to chemo treatments, she visited her patients with cancer on the unit to encourage them and assure them that "bald is beautiful". Patty was the primary nurse for a teen with terminal cancer. He was in denial that his death was imminent. He started to talk a lot about his upcoming birthday, and he picked a date. His parents kept trying to correct him indicating that it wasn't for several months. But Patty sensed the importance of the birthday, so she planned a birthday party for him on the day he had picked - complete with cake, candles, presents music and balloons. Everyone, family and friends celebrated his "birthday" at his bedside with gusto! He was so happy and told everyone it was his "best Birthday ever". Soon afterward, he slipped into a coma and passed from this life before reaching his "real" birthday. His parents thanked Patty profusely for listening - really listening to their son.