August 2022
Sophia
Roberge
,
BSN, RN
PCU
Banner University Medical Center - Phoenix
Phoenix
,
AZ
United States
You gave us very clear information and accompanied us as we struggled with it and its implications.
Dear Sophia: This note acknowledges the amazing compassionate care you provided for our Fr. LB in his final hospitalization at Banner University Hospital. He was our oldest friar brother for the Franciscans of the West coast. He turned 97 while with you during those final days of his life. Together with another nurse, his primary doctor, and the whole staff of the 10th floor we witnessed some very competent end-of-life nursing and amazing compassion, tactility, and even a certain spiritual generosity. We prayed with him often during those few weeks. You showed a profound respect and reverence for an old-time Catholic priest in his final hours. You respected also the time it took for him and his sister, and attending loved ones to walk through his options for assertive care after his fall and then to withdraw them as decided. Father L was coherent during most of those days and made the bulk of the decisions himself. He was fiercely independent, especially with his body and his health care. Your staff included all of us in the conversations and staffing, together with the chaplains from Spiritual Care. You gave us very clear information and accompanied us as we struggled with it and its implications. We were an amazingly functional team around him. Your inclusion of all of us, especially those of us in brown Franciscan habits was very professional and moving. In the name of Fr. L’s family and brother Franciscans, we thank you and your entire staff for your fine nursing care and healing presence. Friar priests from St. Mary’s Basilica have served as chaplains to your hospital since its early years as Good Samaritan. In many ways, your care of Fr. L gifted us with some of that legacy paid forward.