My Mother was on this floor for three days following a massive hemorrhagic stroke. Originally, we did not expect her to live for more than a couple of hours. Eventually, she was admitted to hospice care. However, through a series of unfortunate events, we struggled to get mom into another facility. The hospice organization we were dealing with outside of Swedish failed us on multiple fronts and we felt completely lost and confused amidst the profound grief of our imminent loss. Linda advocated for us every step of the way.
When we felt abandoned by the system that was supposed to support us, Linda was always there. On multiple occasions, she sat down with different members of the family just to ask about the kind of person mom was. She sat with us for long periods of time, despite having other patients to manage, and listened while we told stories about the mother, wife, and friend lying in that bed. She held our hands and was a shoulder to cry on. She stood up for us and for mom when we felt that others were pushing interventions that we were not comfortable with.
Linda always spoke to mom with kindness and dignity, despite the fact that mom mainly appeared unresponsive. She always treated her with the utmost respect. She reassured us when we worried aloud that mom was suffering. She reminded us to take care of ourselves, often bringing us food and drink when we had gone long hours without. She helped us sleep comfortably next to mom all night so that she never had to be alone. When we felt like the rest of the system was falling short, Linda was the reassuring face that continually gave us peace of mind. She is an angel in our hearts, and we will never forget the care that she provided all of us during the most difficult time of our lives.