"If not me, then who?" is Grace Owojori's philosophy in her care of patients. It is this belief that led her to go above and beyond the call of duty to meet the special needs and requests of a recent patient and his family.
The patient was a Chinese farmer with a terminal diagnosis. With no treatment options available to him in China, he arranged to receive medical care at an LA County facility. He came alone and paid cash for the services. When treatment proved unsuccessful, he made plans to return home to make end-of-life preparations.
The day before he was due to leave, his health deteriorated. He was brought to St. Francis Medical Center's Emergency Department and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. ICU RN Grace Owojori was one of his primary caregivers. Soon after he arrived and as anticipated, the patient lost his battle and passed away. While his story is not unique, the role that Grace played in assisting him and his family to bridge a language gap and distance barrier is extraordinary.
In the patient's final days, he was desperate to connect with his loved ones back home. Grace took the lead in finding a creative solution to the family's communication problems. She used a translation app and We-Chat to facilitate messaging between her patient and his wife, who spoke no English. Grace spent on and off hours carefully listening to her patient, who was intubated. She wanted to fully understand his end-of-life wishes. By doing so, she was able to convey his sentiments to his family. Grace also gave of her own time and funds in the effort to bring his loved ones to the US before his death. She effectively became an extension of her patient's family. She booked and personally attended embassy appointments several times on his wife's behalf.
Unfortunately, his wife was not able to obtain a visa. When it became clear that the family would not be able to make the journey here, Grace took it upon herself to learn from his wife the end-of-life rituals that needed to be observed in accordance with their culture. She then worked out a plan to carry out her patient's cremation and customs. She invested in clothing that would enable her to participate in the proper ceremony, and she tenderly fulfilled the traditions that were so important to the family and in which they were able to participate through a video link.
Finally, Grace undertook the task of escorting her patient's remains all the way to China, where she made possible the reunification of husband and wife in their home village. Without a second thought, Grace paid for the flight and incidental costs to build the bridge which allowed this family to navigate the loss of a husband and father in their own way.
According to Grace's supervisor, the clinical director of ICU and Telemetry, "I have been party to many amazing stories and events throughout my nursing career, but this really does restore faith in the selfless mission we have all been called to. Grace never once publicized what she was doing, she never asked for any consideration for the personal time sacrificed, and despite being offered financial assistance by those around her, she was keen to do this on her own and for her patient."
In recognition of the extraordinary care and respect she extended to this patient and his family, and to every patient in her service, St. Francis Medical Center was proud to present to Grace with the DAISY Award.
A surprised Grace accepted her award to the applause of hospital leaders, staff, and her ICU colleagues, and through tears, she humbly stated, "It is a privilege to care for and serve my patients."
St. Francis Medical Center gives its special thanks to Grace, for so lovingly and compassionately honoring her patients in life and in death.