Recently, a young man presented to the Emergency Department suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The injury was initially assessed as unsurvivable and inoperable. For this patient's mother, father, brothers, and friends, these events and the conversations that followed were, of course, unspeakably painful. They were simply shattered.

As members of the interdisciplinary team moved to support the patient's loved ones, Kaitlyn and Mary Katherine moved quickly and expertly to care for him in every available way, managing every machine and medicine, every movement and moment in a concerted effort to support this young man's life. Even so, they never once lost sight of the patient as a person. They spoke to him, gently explaining their actions and interventions. They spoke words of comfort and encouragement to him. Whenever they could, they held his hand.

When the patient's mother was finally able to be at his side, Kaitlyn and Mary Katherine also cared for her with true grace and compassion. Knowing her need, they advocated for her continued presence in the room.

Although the patient was initially thought to be unresponsive, he eventually began to respond to their voices. He gave Kaitlyn's hand a gentle squeeze when she spoke to him. He gave Mary Katherine a weak thumbs-up. Kaitlyn and Mary Katherine saw these small, miraculous attempts at communication for what they were: A young man's courageous fight for life.

In short order, these movements were witnessed by the patient's attending physician and surgeon. They were understood to be purposeful. The young man was sped away to surgery.

Unfortunately, in spite of these interventions, this patient succumbed to his injuries the following morning. It was not as we had hoped. However, his family found some comfort, small but true, in the knowledge that their beloved son and brother had fought so bravely for life in his final hours. They spoke of his strength and courage, his kindness and intelligence. They believed that he had heard them when they spoke their words of love and forgiveness and, at the end, their goodbyes.

And they spoke about his nurses, first among them Kaitlyn and Mary Katherine, and how they never gave up on him, how they tried so hard to save him, to hear him, and to give him the dignity of a fighting chance.

We know that this family will endure a long and life-changing sorrow in the aftermath of this traumatic loss. It is my great hope that, in time, there may be some measure of grace and healing for them. Kaitlyn and Mary Katherine, among others, did everything they could to make that possible. I cannot thank them enough.