Halley Coleman
September 2020
Halley
Coleman
,
BSN, RN
ICU
Blount Memorial Hospital
Maryville
,
TN
United States

 

 

 

My husband was a 59-year-old patient in SICU for 3 weeks as a result of COVID-19. The doctors, therapists, nurses, and respiratory...everyone who cared for him went above and beyond, but Halley did so much for me as well as my Beloved. Several times at night she would put the phone by his ear so I could talk to him since I wasn't allowed to see him. One evening my phone rang and it was Halley. She told me my love was awake and on a breathing trial and "now was the time to talk to him." She put the phone by his ear and kept checking in with us both. She told me that he was nodding that he knew who was on the phone and could hear and understand me. She did his chores and just let me talk to my husband for as long as she was in there. I'd felt so lost because I couldn't be there. It was a comfort to know he heard me. She was there the night he died after I had gotten to see him the afternoon before. She said she had thought of calling me when he began to fail, but he went down so fast. They tried to bring him back but were unsuccessful. They let me see him one last time. He was beautiful! She had removed all the medical devices, the room was clean, his hair was combed, clean gown, and even positioned his head to look like he was sleeping. I will treasure the image of him peaceful and pain-free. It was such a gift to know that the nurse taking care of him knew how much being apart was tearing at me. Her kindness will never be forgotten.