I have been trying to write this message for a few minutes now, and it is hard to put into words what Jasmine has done to make my husband's Chemotherapy treatments easy and as comfortable and happy as possible! Our story began when my husband, also known as "Ol'Papaw", had to go to the emergency room and have surgery on his right leg due to a clot closing off all blood flow. There were many complications from the surgery, and during different tests, they found what might be cancer cells in the fluid around his lung. It was a long, painful 21 days, and we went home with a Vac-system to help heal the incision on his leg. But, they had determined he did indeed have cancer cells in his lung fluid and on his liver.

After recovering from the Vac-system, the next step was a visit to the cancer center. Treatment was discussed, and an appointment for an infusion was scheduled to follow the first Chemotherapy treatment. This infusion was given to a grumpy 81-year-old OI's Papaw because he was not seeing his usual doctor, and this nurse was awesome, handling his grumpiness with compassion and care. He came out in a little better mood and made our trip upstairs to the new doctor a notch better. Two weeks later, our first scheduled Chemotherapy treatment arrived, and we had the most compassionate nurse, who did everything to make him comfortable, explained everything that she was doing and why! Our day is long each time and usually goes into the 6:00 PM range or later. He usually has approximately 6 or 7 infusions. Some are very short, others are 30 minutes or more, but the next to last is very long, about 3 hours, and then a rest, and the final thirty-minute infusion! Before these can be done, the nurse must run labs and then wait for the results to adjust medications accordingly. This starts at 9 AM, making it a very long day for the patient and nurse, and she usually handles another patient.

Jasmine was always smiling and joking with my husband to ease the tension for both of us. We had no idea what to expect! She brought him warm blankets, offered snacks and drinks, and checked in on us in between patients. About halfway through the day, they both realized she was the one who had to get that grumpy old man the first day, and they both laughed at the encounter! I am convinced that she has made his ordeal significantly better and has been a major contributor to the success we have had so far, treatment-wise. He even went so far as to call the Doctors and the infusion center to request her for a second infusion.

The second infusion day had arrived, and as we sat in the waiting room, waiting to be called back, I could tell he was anxiously waiting to see who would come for him. When it was Jasmine, I think that was the biggest smile I had seen in three weeks! The day went awesome, and he laughed and talked more than I had seen him do in over two months. She became a friend and part of our family. As usual, it was after 6 PM before we were done, but she was there with a smile, helping us get a wheelchair and getting him to the front and into the car. The third week arrived, and even though he had requested Jasmine, he was given another nurse. I could tell his whole demeanor had changed. About an hour after we had started the process, she came to his room and said hello and apologized that she was not assigned to him, and talked with him about her vacation we knew she had been on, and asked how his time had been, and his response was pretty good, but better now that he had seen her. She stopped by several more times that day to see him, and when his long infusion was starting, she helped the nurse figure out how to adjust his medication for that infusion and informed him she would be taking over and finishing out his day, as she had the late shift that day! Everything ended well, and as usual, there was no rush; she helped him to the car again. Before he got in the car, he gave her a big hug and thanked her for helping to make a bad situation a little brighter each day. And he doesn't hug many, except for our family and grandkids.

Our next journey is today, and she promised to be there for him and his treatment, as well as the celebration of making it through the four treatments. Jasmine's tireless compassion and devotion, and the skill she performed at the highest possible level to make sure Ol'Papaw was comfortable and confident in what she was doing, made a big impression on me! She stood out as a nurse who was always willing to go above and beyond her normal duties and routines and to ensure her patients' care, safety, and sense of well-being. She will always be remembered as the "one who made the difference and a friend. Thanks, Jasmine! May God be with you forever.