My dad has been a patient in the Critical Care Unit for the past 3 1/2 weeks, has been on a ventilator for most of that time, and more recently requiring CRRT, while dealing with multiple complications and challenges. While ALL the nurses, providers & techs (as well as the rest of the staff at HOCC) are nothing short of amazing, I have been so touched by the kindness and exceptionally compassionate care that Brenda consistently and cheerfully provides to Dad, as well as to the rest of the family. 

The whole situation with my dad has been extremely scary and stressful for the family. As a nurse myself, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to keep a family calm while providing care to a patient during a stressful time. Brenda doesn't hesitate to take the time to do the little things that make such a big difference, during what I know is an extremely busy day. She pays attention to the smallest details and treats Dad as a person, talking to him, always telling him what she is doing, making ice packs to cool him, and just generally being a bright spot in the hardest of days. If he is diaphoretic, she always makes sure he has a cool washcloth on his forehead and chest, to help keep him comfortable, recognizes when he seems to be trying to communicate something (while intubated, sedated and unable to tell us how he feels). She makes sure that the family is comfortable as well, providing cold water to drink, and emotional support to all of us. 

On one of my hardest days, when the rest of the family had gone home, I had an emotional breakdown at the bedside. As I was getting ready to go home and telling him I love him (something I haven’t been able to do in some time), Dad opened his eyes and all the alarms started going off. I don't know if he was agitated because he didn't know where he was, what was going on, in pain, or if he was reacting to my tears, but Brenda the Respiratory Therapist were both right there, giving Dad the care he needed to stabilize him at that moment and also taking the time to take care of me too, with hugs, support, and even a couple of tears themselves - having someone who truly gets it, and is able to show how much they care is such an amazing gift - I don't have the words to express how much that meant to me. 

From the first day I met Brenda, as Dad was heading to surgery, she has been straightforward, honest, kind, extremely compassionate, professional, and knowledgeable – the epitome of what a nurse should be. It warms my heart to know that Dad is in the best of hands during his days with Brenda, and it gives me comfort to know that she provides a level of care that is hard to find in today's nursing world. I don't know what is going to happen in the coming days and weeks... if Dad will recover, or if he'll go to Heaven, but I do know that I couldn't ask for a better nurse than Brenda to support him (and us) whichever way his journey takes him. From the bottom of my heart, I'd like to thank Brenda for being the nurse, and the person, that she is - and for her ability to support both my dad and my family during the hardest time of our lives, never making us feel that our questions are taking up too much time, giving a shoulder to cry on if that's what we need, and always, always providing exceptional care to my dad, through everything.