Helena cared for my mother during what became her final days and hours in the ICU. She demonstrated every quality you hope for in a nurse: exceptional skill, compassion, dignity, and integrity.

Helena was consistently present and proactive. She positioned my mother for comfort, ensured respiratory therapy was called promptly, responded immediately to every alarm, and kept her clean and comfortable at all times. Even when she could have been on break, she was by my mother’s side. She answered every question within her scope of practice and made sure doctors were involved when needed. When our family faced the difficult decision to remove my mother from life support, Helena never rushed us or took away hope. She gave us time, space, and guidance while working closely with Dr. Cruz to ensure we understood every step.

When my mother spiked a fever as we waited for family to arrive from out of town, Helena included us in all decisions. “Do you want us to do this?” She respected our wish to avoid invasive measures and offered creative, non-invasive solutions to reduce her fever. Earlier in the day, another nurse had administered Tylenol rectally, something my mother would not have wanted. Helena found an alternative method that maintained my mother’s dignity while still providing the needed care. Helena’s dedication, empathy, and proactive approach made one of the hardest moments of our lives more bearable. She is the epitome of nursing excellence, and our family will be forever grateful for the way she cared for my mother and for us.