It has been an unfortunate circumstance that my family and I have been in and out of St Vincent Infirmary frequently for the last four months. Our son was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive sarcoma in August, received four chemo treatments, and passed away in the ICU in December.

I, having worked as an LPN earlier in my life, was well aware of how stretched the floor nurses can be. We chose to have at least one family member with our son at all times, not because he didn't receive adequate care, but because we wanted to be with our son. Suffice it to say that after 2 to 4 week-long hospital stays, we got to know your nursing staff on the 3NW Oncology floor pretty well.

There are always a few nurses who stand out as exceptional, not only in their skills but in showing care and compassion to the patient and their family. I wanted to recognize these caregivers and make you aware, in case you weren't, that these caregivers meant the world to us. We would be delighted when we found out they would be our nurse for that shift. Many of your nurses are efficient, but these stood head and shoulders above the others.

First of all, Nadine Baxter made herself available to me anytime I had questions regarding his care, his doctors, their orders, and a shoulder to cry on. Her office door was always open, and she welcomed me anytime I came to her for advice. I can't begin to tell you what a blessing she was to me.

Secondly, Mohammad Alserhan, floor nurse leader. A quiet yet very competent nurse who didn't just sit behind his desk in his office all day. He often assisted the nurses by accessing the port and prepping for chemotherapy. He always rounded with our oncologist. He answered every question we had and went the extra mile to assist us in any way he could. I saw him on several occasions giving instructions to his nurses regarding the numerous ins and outs of chemo infusion. Here is a nurse leader who is willing to work alongside and strive to better his team.

Now this next group was the caregivers that we saw day-to-day, week after week. These are the ones that made our ordeal bearable. They were the bright spots in our days. In no particular order, as all were outstanding, are:

Vivian Fitzhugh
Henri Pinion
Chika Tobi
Sherrice Davis
Chelsea Hogan
Yda Balensoy
and our favorite tech, Michelle McNespey

I would encourage you to speak with Michelle about going on to nursing school. She has the heart and compassion to be an excellent nurse.

I will mention just one incident that stands out as an example of your extraordinary caregivers on 3NW. My son's 39th birthday fell on the week he was admitted for his fourth round of chemo. It would be later in the evening before all the family could come; only his wife, Lanissa, was there that day. Mohammad, Henri, Vivian, and several other caregivers came into his room with a birthday cake, singing "Happy Birthday" to him.

These nurses cared and went that extra mile to show my son that he wasn't just another room number; he was special, someone's son, someone's husband, and someone's father. I would gladly give all these nurses gold medals if I could.

I hope it has been made clear to you how kindness and compassion shone in these, our favorite nurses on 3NW. I'm enclosing a card for all the caregivers on 3NW and funeral memory cards that you can give to Mohammad to discreetly give to those named.

This has been and is still currently a horrendous experience to lose the eldest of my two sons. From the onset of diagnosis to his death was less than four months. We are still in shock and disbelief, but it is real, and my son is gone from our lives.

Your team on 3NW helped us through our heartache and family crisis. God will continue to help us now.