My Dad has been a frequent flyer to Augusta Health for many years. Over the years I have come to know a lot of familiar faces. I have been touched over the years by a few, but not like I was touched by Kari. My Dad was always a very well-liked patient and so kind. In December we thought it was a usual bout of pneumonia from my Dad and he was doing okay. On and off he complained of a stomach ache. While he was there under Kari's care she came in and noticed a tremendous change in him the day they had said he was going to be discharged. He was in a lot of pain and she described his color to me as "very gray". When she touched his stomach he was in a lot of pain. She immediately paged a doctor and very quickly he was sent for the CT. Within a few short hours he was in emergency surgery for a diverticulitis burst and had two thirds of his colon removed and a colostomy bag.

He had a battle to say the least and I use the term battle because this is what he did. He battled hard for two months, beating the odds over and over again. He was in and out of the ICU and returned to PCU several times over that time period. After his surgery Kari came to the ICU to check on him and to check on us. She was always very compassionate and although we only had two months, I will forever be grateful to Kari for those two months. It was her attention to him and her extra effort to respond to the difference she noticed in him. If he had been sent home, he would have probably died right away.

His last visit to PCU, a very critical time in his life and death/he was once again under Kari's care. I do not believe this was coincidence, I believe that God placed her there for him and for us. Kari took extra care of him his last days and had him in a chair, bathed, and shaved, and even trimmed his eyebrows for us! She went above and beyond and even intervened to give us advice at a much needed time in his last days/hours. It was very hard to let him go, and Kari took her role to a new level and showed us genuine care and concern, compassion, and there were times that she just cried with us. I felt a connection that I had never felt with another RN before and my dad felt it too.

My family is forever grateful for the RN, and friend Kari was to my Dad during his battle. He was not just another patient/formality to follow. She treated him and us like a person/individual and not just another task, she treated him like he was important and his life did matter. She cared about his life, and she cared about his death. We truly will never forget Kari and how she touched us. We are so thankful that Kari was there!