Katie Farmer had the pleasure of caring for a wonderful little man named JJ as she called him. He was only two years old when he made Mon-Fri arrivals to the PACU after radiation treatments under general anesthesia to shrink the brain tumor that had encompassed his life. JJ's mother was a very young woman, but also very strong. This made an impact on Katie because she also became a mother at very young age. She said that his mother never missed a treatment, often she looked exhausted, but she was always happy to see Katie.
Katie nominated JJ for the "Make-A-Wish," but due to his young age, he was not accepted. She would purchase items for him and have them ready on his trips to the PACU, and he loved balls. She developed a special bond with JJ and his mother, in fact on the occasions Katie was not his primary nurse, she would volunteer to take him back to his room, and she would tease him until he gave her a smile followed by a fist bump.
The last few visits, Katie could see that little JJ was getting weaker. His mother shared that his health was declining and she didn't know how much longer they would be coming in. The day came when Katie received a call from the staff in P-Day that JJ's mother wanted Katie to know that he had gone to Heaven. She wanted Katie to know how much she meant to both of them. Katie purchased a bracelet for JJ's mother with the inscription "Half of my heart is in Heaven, " and they became friends on Facebook.
Katie proudly shared his photo with me along with the photo of his little sister who he never had the chance to meet. Katie is a very caring nurse, and now we have little "JJs" that continue to come through for radiation treatment, but this little JJ will forever be in her heart.