It has taken me awhile to begin to recover from the devastating loss of my wife of 52 years. I would like to recognize a nurse who is a credit to the profession and was a value to me and my family that is immeasurable, Nurse Alysha Elizabeth Hughes. Specifically, we asked her to serve as my wife's nurse during her last hours on earth. P and I both had well-justified confidence that Alysha would administer to her last hours with skill and compassion. She was my wife's choice for this duty and though she was not scheduled as P's caregiver that day she accepted our request and was assigned the duty.
During the day, she made sure that P was as comfortable as possible until she died, but the most wonderful thing she did was the way she helped our family get through the whole day. She was kind and skillful and compassionate all at the same time. P was an incredibly strong person and though she wished wholeheartedly to be allowed to give up suffering, she had suffered for over three weeks in the ICU, her body held on for several hours without help. Throughout this time Alysha fought to comfort her and thus comforted us.
While I cannot speak to the medical skill that she exhibited, I can attest to the fact that she personified "A Healer's Touch". Her skill began our long healing process. Her efforts did not stop there, as she attended P's memorial service and continued to bring closure to our grief.