When my 82-year-old father came into the hospital on Tuesday, I was concerned. My dad is deaf. He hears nothing, cannot read lips, and his reading comprehension is limited. On Wednesday, we had a great nurse in the morning, and at 3 pm, she switched shifts with Jaelyn. When this nurse came in, she was very friendly. She explained what the plan of care would be, asked if we had any questions, and made sure we didn't need anything.

I mentioned that someone said we may be able to FaceTime when I went home if there was any need to communicate with my Dad. She immediately told me they would grab it to do a test run to make sure everything worked. We had success, and I could see the relief on his face. It really helped me relax knowing he had someone who really cared. My Dad has a hard time since my Mom passed away communicating, since he is deaf. Jaelyn really understood, and I could tell he felt very comfortable.

Before I left, she told me I could call anytime to check on him. She gave me her text number, knowing I have two young kids at home and that phone calls sometimes don't work. She also made sure my Dad was doing well before I left and took a snack order to bring later. To my surprise, my phone rang around 9 pm. I missed it and called back to have her answer. She just wanted to let me know he had his snack and pills, but wanted to Facetime and check if he needed anything.

Dad and I talk every night before bed, and my kids sign goodnight to PapPap every day. They were able to do that because Jaelyn took the time to care for my Dad and his unique needs. His face lit up, and he was so happy to see his babies. It may not seem important to some, but to us, it's a lot. For a deaf person, communication is sometimes one important thing that is lacking. Jaelyn didn't make any of us feel that way, and I was very touched by their compassion and how they went above and beyond. Thank you!