My father passed away extremely quickly. Emma was his night nurse, and from the moment she came on shift, she changed our lives! She was kind, patient, understanding and never made us feel like a burden for any reason.

My dad was a humble man. Always showing his appreciation of others. Emma was present with my dad and me when he decided to no longer pursue life-saving measures. She cried true genuine tears as she listened to what would be one of my last conversations with my dad. She later shared with me that her dad had passed away only a few months prior, also of ALS.

She is so young and could not have been a nurse very long, but this is definitely the field for her. The compassion she showed to my family is almost indescribable. She was off work the following night but knew my dad’s time was ending. She picked up an additional shift just to care for him in his final hours. I later learned that she called throughout the day to check on him. Her action and compassion for those two days was beyond measure.

I cannot talk about Emma to others without crying because I am overwhelmed by the care and respect she showed to my father during the worst nights of his life. Her actions and character are exactly what every nurse should be but it is so hard at times.

My 12-year-old left KU the night of my dad's passing and said, “I want to be a nurse. I want to help families like Emma helped us”. Emma probably doesn’t realize it, but she will always hold a special place in our hearts. God bless her for making such a terrible time a little more tolerable for us.