My beautiful nephew was air lifted to Mercy following a horrific car accident. He was immediately taken to surgery to remove a bone flap in his skull, allowing room for his injured brain to swell, without causing more damage. He coded while in surgery and was closed up and brought to the Trauma/Neuro ICU. There was a wonderful team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists attempting to keep his broken body alive. We cried and prayed and begged for a miracle. However, there were no miracles handed down to us that day. Our sweet, good and kind boy was not going to make it.
Your doctors went above and beyond to keep our very large family informed of my nephew's status. They delivered devastating news with compassion and promised my sister to do everything in their power to save her son. Sadly, I cannot begin to remember a single doctor's name. I do and always will remember the kindness shown to our family as we absorbed the impossible news they delivered.
My nephew had not one, but two amazing nurses throughout his day, Tiffany and Lindsay. After we were told that he would not survive his injuries, we all sat in a room staring at one another, just trying to figure out how to survive in a world where our amazing family member might not exist. Both nurses came in at that point ensuring us that they would continue to keep him alive as long as they possibly could, but didn't give false hope. They both cried as they told my sister how sorry they were. They cried with us. To know that they cared enough to come into a room, filled with hopeless individuals still begging for a miracle while knowing they wouldn't get one, just to say "we are here for you" and be vulnerable enough to allow us all to see their pain as well, that is nursing at its finest.
I have failed to mention that while fighting to keep my nephew alive they also allowed over 100 high school kids come into the room, 2 at a time, to say goodbye to their friend. They showed amazing grace under pressure and we could not begin to articulate our thankfulness. Thank you for caring. Thank you for crying. Thank you for trying so hard to save our boy. He really was one of a kind, an amazing child with a beautiful smile and a contagious laugh. Someone you'd just love being around. Without knowing any of that, you both tirelessly fought for him and mourned him right along with us. Thank you doesn't seem nearly enough, but it's all we have.
Chris and Michael came on for night shift. They knew coming onto the shift that their patient would most likely not survive the night. That didn't stop them from delivering the same exceptional care that their day shift counterparts gave. They put up with us ignoring the 2 at a time rule because they knew we were saying goodbye. When the chaplain came and prayed with us, Michael asked if he could join. We gladly accepted our nurse's prayers. When it came time to remove the medicine keeping my nephew's heart beating, my sister couldn't say the words. She knew he was gone, we'd known all day, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them to stop. I had to do it for her. I had to give permission for a nurse to stop the only thing keeping this wonderful human being alive. Michael and Chris didn't question why my sister didn't say the words. They knew she was giving her sweet boy permission to leave this world. They were both so kind and good. Through our overwhelming grief and sadness, we appreciate everything Mercy coworkers did to make my nephew and my family comfortable. Thank you for living the mission. At the end of any day when you ask if you did enough, please know that for this family, on this day, you went above and beyond. Your kindness and compassion will not soon be forgotten by any of us. Thank you, thank you all so very much.