My 80-year-old grandma spent about a month in the hospital after being diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and her prognosis seemed to change daily. She was in emotional and physical pain, and as a family, we were overwhelmed and full of questions. It felt like we were losing her faster than we could process. During the last five days of my grandma’s life, Gaby was her nurse.

Every time Gaby entered the room, the atmosphere shifted. She brought a calm and confident energy that provided us with a sense of peace during our turmoil. Even though we were facing the hardest moments of our lives, Gaby managed to put us at ease. She answered all our questions, explained complex medical information in a way we could understand, and patiently re-explained things when we got confused. She never made us feel like a burden; instead, she welcomed our questions with kindness and compassion. Gaby went above and beyond to make my grandma feel comfortable and cared for during her final days.

One moment I will never forget is when I stepped out of the room to take a phone call, and when I came back, I found Gaby gently brushing my grandma’s hair. They were laughing together, and it was the happiest I had seen my grandma look in days. Gaby made her feel like she was not defined by her illness. As my grandma’s only granddaughter, I will always remember what she said to me: she hoped I would not mind sharing her because Gaby had “officially been adopted into our family.” Gaby worked five straight days at the hospital, so we got to spend a lot of time with her, and she really did feel like part of the family.

Knowing that my grandma’s final wish was to get home to see her dog one last time, Gaby worked tirelessly to help make that possible. Thanks to her dedication, hospice was able to get my grandma home in the evening, and she passed peacefully the following morning. Gaby was our lifeline during the last few days of my grandma’s life. I honestly do not know if we could have brought my grandma home without her advocacy and support. We did not have the chance to say goodbye when we left the hospital. But before she left her last shift, Gaby wrote us a heartfelt letter expressing how much it meant to her to care for my grandma. She made sure the nurses working the next day delivered it to us, and we will treasure it forever. There’s no way to fully express our gratitude for everything Gaby did for our family and for the above-and-beyond care that she gave to my grandma during her last days of life. We love you, Gaby. Thank you for being an angel on earth.