After many hours in the ER, my father was admitted to Rhoads 4 with a gastric obstruction due to his advancing pancreatic cancer. Although my mother and I were very concerned about Dad's condition, Aji Mathew got him settled in his room with such skill, confidence, and respect that we felt comfortable to go home for the night and get some rest.
The next morning, I called the unit and Aji answered my questions patiently. When I got to the hospital that day, Dad said that Aji had taken exceptional care of him overnight.
Dad had fought his disease for 18 months, exhausting the available chemo and radiation therapies before leading to his gastric condition. Prior to being admitted, he hadn't eaten in days and then was not able to eat or drink for several days before receiving gastric Jejunostomy surgery, and had difficulty recovering after surgery. The overnights during the week of Dad's stay became increasingly difficult for him to tolerate emotionally due to his weakened condition. Thankfully, Aji was back on the last couple of nights. Dad told me that Aji had "gotten him through" by lending a compassionate ear and tending to him with the utmost skill and respect. Dad was in good hands.
My father was a professor and felt strongly about the importance of good recommendation letters. He saved the DAISY foundation form in his bag because he wanted to recommend Aji for this award. Unfortunately, Dad's condition became worse over the next month and passed away. I knew that Dad would have wanted Aji to be recognized, and so do I.