Our mom was brought by ambulance to Auburn Community Hospital with severe chest pain. Mom had been ill for many years with arterial disease and we exhausted all surgical options over recent years, so we were managing her end stage of life to bring her the most comfort possible while keeping her in her own home.

Sadly, our Mom did not survive the night and she passed away shortly after midnight. As all of this was happening, I was traveling for work and several states away which made this situation even more emotional for me as I was unable to be there for my mom to help bring her comfort. It was the next morning when I learned that the ambulance ride to the hospital had proved to be quite challenging as Mom was treated very poorly by the ambulance medics, the very people that are looked to for assurance and comfort that they are there to help. This had made the whole situation much more difficult and emotionally stressful for my mom and for my sister, who was with her. Hearing this completely crushed me; to think that mom’s last memory on earth was being treated with unkind words and no comfort or compassion was just too much to bear.

As I sat in the airport sobbing on the phone at this news, my sister stopped me and shared that Mom had woken up in the hospital and was coherent and there was a special nurse who had taken over once she was admitted. This nurse continuously worked to keep Mom comfortable in her bed, she instructed others to help give her a warm bath, and she took extra care to rub Mom’s back and help ease her back pain. Mom even commented on how comforting it felt. My sister couldn’t have been more thankful for this nurse and the hours of extra care she gave Mom, and that our mom left this world feeling comforted and cared for.

I cry even as I write this, we can’t thank Erin Cook, the extra special nurse at Auburn, enough for taking such special care of our dying mom. This kind of care exemplifies nursing with care and compassion, and we will forever be grateful to Erin.