I would like to thank everyone in E ward at Ft. Mead who had a hand in caring for my Father-in-law, R. Specifically, I would like to thank Tara Deitschman.

Tara is someone I have never met or spoken to. Tara is a "night shifter" who never worked when our family would visit. It was brought to my attention that a night shift nurse noticed changes and ensured the family was notified. It made me realize that... it is because of you, Tara, and the concern you showed for R that our family rallied for sooner and longer visits towards his end. One might say that you were just "doing your job," but I feel completely different about that. It's because of you that we got to joke around and have our last laughs together. Because of you, I got to get him crushed ice for his beloved Pepsi. Because of you, I got to make him smile again, giving him what he called pure joy, his Pringles. Tara, you truly are one of the "unsung heroes" who work with the hospice team. Thank you again for some of the best last visits with R. They mean everything to us.