I really connected to Rachel from the moment the night shift brought her in to introduce her to me. She always spent that extra minute or two to ask me questions about myself. She stopped by multiple times each day to check to see if I needed anything. One sat when I was having GI problems, she made me a milkshake.

Then came THE day that I’ll always remember her for: It was the day after the holiday. My husband spent most of each day with me but had just left to go back to Hope Lodge where he was staying, so I was alone. I was reading a book and reached up to see if my hair was still intact. I had been doing this for several days knowing the day would come shortly when I would lose my hair because of chemo.

This time when I pulled, a tuft of hair came. I tried several times, each time getting a tuft. I was expecting this, so why was I surprised? And why was I dismayed?

I immediately called my husband and after finally being able to blubber my way through it, told him what was happening. He would have come back, but it would be 45 minutes. I sat there, very emotional, and guess who peeked in the door? Rachel, asking if everything was OK. I shook my head no and held up the hair that had come out. She came in and sat on my couch and comforted me, knowing just the words I needed to hear, and she agreed to come back and cut and shave my head and did so when my husband got back. She told me it was a new beginning for me.

I may never again see her but will always love her for walking me through this traumatic time in my life!