As I was rounding recently, I was shown a makeshift bell for a patient to ring in the UAB Hospital Emergency Department (UED). The patient’s bedside nurse, Peyton Shirley, explained the purpose. Her patient was being evaluated in the UED and received the great news of being cancer-free! Peyton recognized that the patient needed to be able to ring a bell, as many patients with cancer do when they receive a similar report.

Her patient was being admitted to the hospital, so the opportunity to ring a bell was going to be missed. But Peyton and her co-workers were not going to let that happen. They created a makeshift bell and ordered a cake from Food & Nutrition Services. Once the patient was cleared to eat, the patient’s relative was notified of the plan to celebrate this victory and ring the bell. They used a cell phone to replicate the sound of a bell and help the patient celebrate the experience. The patient’s relative was present, along with nurses, a patient care technician (PCT), and the resident who provided care during this visit. The patient’s face lit up with excitement for being recognized and appreciation for being cancer-free! I sent a picture to the patient’s relative, and this was the response: “Thank you! This was so incredibly thoughtful. It’s been a rough 18 months, and we’ve been in this ED more times than I can remember. We’ve always had great care, but this was over-the-top intentional.”

Kudos to this compassionate and caring team for making sure their patient felt special on this big day!