We admitted a young patient with cancer and severe mets to multiple parts of her body in early October. She was intubated two different times and eventually got a trach and ended up decompensating quite quickly despite having a few rounds of chemo. Her husband and three children came to visit her every day and ended up making the decision to make her a DNR. The husband would eventually go on to confide in Sam, that he was working 4 different jobs trying to pay their bills and stay afloat while his wife (the patient) was in the hospital.

Eventually, they made the decision to stop chemo. Sam grew very fond of this patient and felt a great deal of sympathy for her family and their situation. Sam took it upon herself to personally start a fundraiser for the husband and their children so that he was able to give them some sort of Christmas and hopefully lessen the financial burden that his wife’s hospital stay had put on them. Sam ended up raising over $3,000 across both 6I and 6H, and yesterday was able to give the full amount to the husband at the bedside. He and his children cried and hugged her, telling her how much it meant to him and that the $3,000 was 2 of his biweekly paychecks.

Yesterday, the husband and children made the decision to go comfort care with the patient, and she passed away within 5 minutes of withdrawing life support. The husband, over and over again, expressed his gratitude for all that our 6I nurses did for his wife and their family while she was in our care. Sam made a huge impact on this family and their Christmas, and I’m sure that they will remember her and our unit forever.