Amy cared for my husband G when he was admitted to the hospital for complications with lung cancer. She was an amazing advocate and resource for myself and my family while we were at the hospital. G had wanted to live to see our only daughter graduate from college. He was in the hospital because his lung cancer had progressed and he needed help with managing his shortness of breath and anxiety. He needed a large amount of oxygen just to be comfortable. Amy would check in with us every day to see how we were doing and to see if we needed anything. She would find an answer or solution for any questions or concerns that we raised.

When we made the decision to transfer to hospice, we were originally told that home hospice would be the best option. I felt that this was not ideal, as G was needing high amounts of oxygen and medications. I felt that I would not be able to care for him properly. The thought of lugging around oxygen tanks and having to help clean G up was unbearable to think of. I wanted to spend our last days together as husband and wife, and not as caregiver and patient. We both really wanted to be at the hospice house so that we both felt comfortable and safe with the level of care that G needed. Amy was the most fierce advocate that I have ever met. She went to bat for our family and went out of her way to continually communicate and collaborate with others to help us achieve our goal. She moved mountains to ensure that G could go to the local hospice house and not be transferred to a hospice house that was farther away from me, as well as all of his family support. Amy always took the time to listen to what G and I were saying, and we felt that she was one of the only people that did this. She took the time to understand our needs and was compassionate about the entire situation. She always made sure that we knew what was going on, and kept us updated every step of the way.

Even though things didn’t end up going smoothly in the end, as there were complications that arose during the transfer, I am still so grateful for all Amy did for us. G passed away in the hospital a few days after our unsuccessful transfer to the hospice house. Amy called me the day after to check and see how I and my daughter were doing. She continued to go above and beyond to make sure that we were ok, and her compassion and dedication to her patients were very evident. She assured me and my family that she would make it her mission to improve on the processes that didn’t go well in our situation. Amy told me that she would work on quality improvement, and ensuring that quality end-of-life care was consistently delivered. This dedication to patients is not seen as frequently in the present times as it may have been in the past. That is why I wanted to take a moment to recognize Amy for how she cared for my family during such a difficult time. Her patient advocacy, dedication, and compassion are second to none.