It has been almost 4 weeks since our brother passed away at your hospital. His death was peaceful thanks to Virginia and Palliative Care. Her care for our brother and our family though only for a few hours, was filled with compassion. However, the journey to Palliative Care was not so peaceful for our brother and our family. To be quite honest, it was sad, stressful, and emotional.
As many families experience while a family member is in ICU, our emotions were up and down. Our minds racing, filled with questions, what to do, what not to do, keeping our brother's best interest at the top of our priorities.
Virginia was our brother's nurse in ICU the days he needed someone like her the most, and the days our family was fortunate to have her. Virginia, while caring for our brother, understood his prognosis, she saw our faces, listened to our concerns, and answered many of our questions.
With her deep sense of caring and utmost professionalism she connected with all of us, she was the voice of reason and we feel in a way the voice of our brother who could not communicate. At one of the most difficult times in ICU, she recommended that we talk to the Palliative Care Team at St. Joe's. "Best in the nation," she said. "They are great and I feel they could help you all."
Virginia recognized our need for clarification of the situation and the need for us to just talk to someone who could help us understand everything that was happening. She could not have been more right! Needless to say within an hour we had a meeting with D from Mercy Supportive Care. D immediately took us under her care; she was like our angel and helped us through a very stressful time. Her deep sense of caring touched our hearts and yet at the same time gave us peace. Virginia was right, they are the best! Since our brother's passing, we have thought of Virginia often and we strongly feel that there is no one more deserving of the DAISY Award than her.