December 2023
Thomas A
Zegarelli
,
RN
ICU
Bassett Medical Center
Cooperstown
,
NY
United States
Thomas allowed us the perfect amount of space and support during this time of need for our family.
My grandmother quickly declined after a hip fracture. We found ourselves in shock after less than 24 hours after a fall, making a decision to place her on comfort care. Immediately upon arrival to the unit, Thomas connected with us to let us know that "Granny" was settled in for us to go back to her bedside. Not all of our family was in the same place of acceptance, and Thomas was very supportive of all of our questions and supporting our needs. We were in and out of the room often, and Thomas kept in communication with us over the course of a couple of hours. After the decision was made to officially extubate and go on comfort care, Thomas remained in the room with us and continually asked us if our grandmother appeared comfortable. He allowed us the perfect amount of space and support during this time of need for our family. We cannot thank Thomas and the critical care team enough for the support they gave us during this tragic time.