From the moment that my Mother and I met Tammy, we were in awe! In February of 2016, my Mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. At the time, she decided that she didn't want to do any type of treatment for it, and just keep an eye on it. So, that's what we did. Then in March, things took a turn for the worse. Mom got pneumonia, and ended up in the hospital on a ventilator. My two sisters, my brother, and I were so afraid we were going to lose her, we drove through the night to get to her bedside, and be with my Dad. Mom came through, and though weak, we were able to make the move in April, and my parents now live here in Michigan with my family. In May, Mom was admitted to Beaumont for some breathing issues. It wasn't as bad this time, but we received a referral to see Dr. Craig Stevens, in Radiation/Oncology, and that is when we met Tammy. From the first moment that I met Tammy, I felt safe. I knew that this amazing nurse was going to guide my family and me through this scary process. At the time, I was out of work, so I was taking my Mom to her appointments, and I'm so thankful I was, because I got to know Tammy. So, it was decided that my Mom's lung cancer was very treatable, and she would receive 5 days of a high dose of radiation. That was done in September, and things were going along great! We had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Stevens and Tammy, and things were going well. Anytime my Mom had questions, she called Tammy, and Tammy always talked to her, answered all of her questions, and reassured her. Mom started having a lot of pain in the beginning of November in her back, and it became so bad, that I called Tammy to ask what she recommended. She called me right back, as she always does, and recommended that we come see them. We did, and Dr. Stevens thought it was most likely a fracture in her back, because radiation, though targeted, can weaken bones. We followed the recommendations, and Tammy called several times to check on things, but they just seemed to be getting worse. I found myself calling Tammy several times a week, and she always answered, or called me right back. She talked to me as if I was a member of her family, and always reassured me. She answered questions that I didn't even know I had and made sure that she knew all of the details that she needed to know to make sure that the best care was being given to my Mom. Tammy also talked to my Mom quite a few times on the phone, and if you know my Mom, she is not the type that likes to give up control and ask for help or advice. With Tammy, my Mom felt safe, and she knew that Tammy was the expert. My Mom hates going to the hospital, she is always so afraid, and resists it as long as she can, even though it makes things much worse! Tammy is the first person that my Mom listened to and knew that if Tammy recommended it, it was the right thing. When I tell my Mom I am going to call Tammy, it always makes my Mom feel safe. I felt like my Mom was the only patient that Tammy had, and again, I felt safe. By early January, I made another call to Tammy, and it was recommended that Mom went to the hospital. So, that is what we did. Turns out that Mom had 4 compression fractures in her spine, and that's why her pain was so out of control. On top of that, she also had shingles on her back. There was a bad reaction to one of the pain medications they tried, and things just seemed to be spiraling out of control! There were some scary things being said, and I needed to feel safe, so who did I call?…you guessed it, I called Tammy. I called, and I cried, and she listened, and gave advice, and educated me, and most important, made me feel safe. Tammy is one of a kind. It's like she was born to be a radiation/oncology nurse, and she made my Mom and I feel safe and secure and cared about. Tammy was there for my family at our most vulnerable, and she reassured us and made us feel safe, informed and cared for.