Jessie was my former palliative care physician’s nurse. I actually met her before I met him. You see, I had just come back to Minnesota and GIllette from out state and my Physical Medicine Dr at the Phalen Clinic wanted me to see him for help with controlling chronic pain. I was resistant because I had a bad experience elsewhere. He let the matter drop. But then Botox day came and Jessie was helping him and Clinic. He explained that Jessie wasn’t his nurse, but rather that she worked with the palliative care doctor he wanted me to see. Jessie and I hit it off. That day was the first time I didn’t fight out of fear through Botox injections and I thought: “maybe this time will be different”. I agreed to see the Palliative Care Dr. I’ve often wondered if the physical medicine doctor arranged for Jessie to help him that day because he knew my feeling that if you get along with a doctor’s nurse, chances are, you will like the doctor and he knew Jessie and I would get along, sometimes I think he’s magic like that.

Over the years, Jessie has cheered the small and hard-fought victories right along with me and my family. Victories like losing significant weight, wearing a women’s North Face jacket for the first time ever, and walking hand-in-hand with my then-toddler nephew for the first time. Jessie has helped me prepare for 5 serious lower limb procedures and supported me afterward, Going so far as to come up to the Adult Unit to spend time with me (on her own time) when I was acutely postop. She even came to TCU to spend time with me while I was recovering there. She was the first person that I walked to after I got weight-bearing clearance! It was Jessie who answered the seemingly endless questions that I came to her with when my best friend was dying from liver and renal failure and I didn’t understand what was happening. She took the time out to answer every question even when she was super busy and made sure I understood. When my friend died, she held me while I cried. She even came to my college graduation. It wouldn’t have felt right to graduate without Jessie being there because you see, Jessie wouldn’t let me quit even when school got hard and roadblocks happened. She told me SHE knew I could do it, and she believed in me. That means more than there are adequate words for.

Every patient and person needs someone like Jessie in their life. But I’m the one who got lucky, I’m the one who will always count on and consider Jessie to be a real-life blessing, a friend, and a mentor. She embodies Gillette‘s mission and is truly a Creator of Can.