Joey Larkin
December 2023
Joey
Larkin
,
RN
4C Medical-Pediatrics
Mayo Clinic Health System Southwest Wisconsin
La Crosse
,
WI
United States
As my children and I walked down the corridor, leading my husband to the final hospital room that he would stay in, it was Joey who immediately came to our side, hugged us, and cried as we tried to grasp what our reality was becoming.
My husband had a bad habit of making doctor appointments and then canceling them. In June of 2024, we knew that there was something very wrong with him, so he finally stopped canceling scheduled tests and had an MRI. The night we found out the results of this test, we were told to get to the ER immediately. We were not sure why. We just knew that he was very sick and had to be admitted to the hospital for 5 days in La Crosse. It was during this hospital stay that we met an amazing nurse, Joey Larkin.
For what was a scary week for my family, Joey was a breath of fresh air to us. He was comic relief. He was a counselor. He was a caregiver. He was quick with a joke and a hug. He was someone who took the time to get to know my husband, children, and me. He treated each of us with the utmost respect and care. He and my husband had a bonded love of making meats in a smoker. In fact, after a 12-hour shift, he went home to get a special low-sodium meat rub that he made so my husband could still enjoy ribs with his new diet. He went above and beyond taking care of my family that week. When my husband was released to go home, we thought we would still have 10-15 years together as a family.
Sadly, a few days after his release, my husband had to be re-admitted to the hospital. When we knew that there was nothing else that could be done for him, I requested that his last days on this earth be spent with the 4C staff. I knew that the care that would be given to each of us would be filled with kindness and compassion because we got to know many of the staff the previous week. As my children and I walked down the corridor, leading my husband to the final hospital room that he would stay in, it was Joey who immediately came to our side, hugged us, and cried as we tried to grasp what our reality was becoming. During late night/early morning walks, it was Joey who we would chat with at the nurse's station to just clear our minds and give us a small moment of "normal" in a time when nothing was normal.
To say that he is an outstanding nurse seems like an understatement. Mayo Clinic is blessed to have such an amazing person taking care of their patients. As a family, we consider Joey to be one of us. Although it is almost 5 months since my husband passed away, we still think of Joey with great respect because of how he helped all of us during the saddest time of our lives. Joey truly deserves to be honored with a DAISY Award for his dedication to the nursing profession.
For what was a scary week for my family, Joey was a breath of fresh air to us. He was comic relief. He was a counselor. He was a caregiver. He was quick with a joke and a hug. He was someone who took the time to get to know my husband, children, and me. He treated each of us with the utmost respect and care. He and my husband had a bonded love of making meats in a smoker. In fact, after a 12-hour shift, he went home to get a special low-sodium meat rub that he made so my husband could still enjoy ribs with his new diet. He went above and beyond taking care of my family that week. When my husband was released to go home, we thought we would still have 10-15 years together as a family.
Sadly, a few days after his release, my husband had to be re-admitted to the hospital. When we knew that there was nothing else that could be done for him, I requested that his last days on this earth be spent with the 4C staff. I knew that the care that would be given to each of us would be filled with kindness and compassion because we got to know many of the staff the previous week. As my children and I walked down the corridor, leading my husband to the final hospital room that he would stay in, it was Joey who immediately came to our side, hugged us, and cried as we tried to grasp what our reality was becoming. During late night/early morning walks, it was Joey who we would chat with at the nurse's station to just clear our minds and give us a small moment of "normal" in a time when nothing was normal.
To say that he is an outstanding nurse seems like an understatement. Mayo Clinic is blessed to have such an amazing person taking care of their patients. As a family, we consider Joey to be one of us. Although it is almost 5 months since my husband passed away, we still think of Joey with great respect because of how he helped all of us during the saddest time of our lives. Joey truly deserves to be honored with a DAISY Award for his dedication to the nursing profession.