Jeni went to the waiting room after my dad left cardiac rehab and sat with him, holding the hand of a person she had never met before and spoke to my dad like he was her own father. She explained things in a way my dad could understand, relating the heart to a car engine and a fuel pump. My dad then started to cry. He told Jeni he loved to sing Elvis Presley songs and also sang in a church band, but now he doesn't sing because he doesn't have his voice back and can't hear himself sing. He told her he feels like he's less of a man because of not being able to do the things he once did, and now for the first time in his life, he has to ask for help. Again, Jeni sat there with a perfect stranger holding his hand and just listening. She told him it was normal to mourn the person he used to be but to rejoice that he is alive and able to do new things. It was so hard to see my father cry, but Jeni made him feel comfortable enough to express his feelings.
I don't know many people who would take the time to do this with someone they have never met nor have ever taken care of. But it meant the world to my dad and to me. She also made my dad laugh at something witty she said and seeing him laugh again brought tears to my eyes. Jeni was not only there for my dad, but she was there for me to talk to and to cry to during his hospital stay. She is an extraordinary nurse, and probably the most compassionate, caring person I have ever met. My dad still talks about Jeni and how it made him feel so much better being able to just talk and have someone listen.