A colleague wrote that Lindsay recently cared for a patient and her family in a very caring manner that went above and beyond the call of duty. Lindsay admitted a young woman (31 y.o.) with a very serious life threatening head bleed. Instantly the patient's family bonded with Lindsay and trusted her caring for their loved one. Lindsay worked the rest of the weekend feverishly trying to save this young patient, but her condition continued to deteriorate. The family continued to look to Lindsay for strength and support as they made decisions regarding the patient's life. Lindsay worked an extra shift during the week and learned that the family would be making end of life decisions and were asking for Lindsay.

Even though she wasn't the nurse assigned to this patient that night, she stayed to comfort them and make them feel at ease regarding the decisions they were making. The following Friday, the patient's family had decided to donate her organs and the patient had gone to the operating room for the organ harvest. Lindsay was in charge and received a phone call from the patient's sister who was devastated that the Gift of Life coordinator had not been able to get a hand print of the patient for her young children to have as a memory of their mother. Lindsay told the family member that she would see what she could do to help. She contacted the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) charge nurse who was more than willing to give three hand molds to use; she then spoke with decedent care that was willing to contact her when the patient came out of the operating room. Lindsay and a few other co-workers made three molds of the patient's hand, one for each of her children. It is important to note that the patient's condition developed 6 days into her post-partum phase of delivery. Her children that she had at home were ages 6 years, 20 months and 12 days.

In Lindsay's words, when she relayed the situation that occurred: "The hand molds turned out so wonderful! I couldn't help but cry knowing that her children would have her hand to touch whenever they wanted. Decedent care was wonderful in arranging to help us get them and assisted making them. PICU also deserves sparks for helping teach us how to use the kits. Despite them being busy, they went above and beyond to help create something special for this family. Rebekah was in charge in the PICU and even provided books that we are sending for her children, Erin and Pam came to help me. I wish I would have taken a picture to show you how wonderful they turned out. Thanks for supporting our endeavor and it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my nursing career. All I could think of was to get her hand molds for them. I grew very close to her family over the weekend and Wednesday stayed with them in the lounge until 1 AM listening to their happy stories and supporting their decision.

In my almost eight years of nursing, I feel that I have experienced a lot, but nothing to this extreme. My heart ached for their grieving family of such wonderful people and it hit home as her children were spaced the same as my children. I promised her sister that I would do whatever I had to do to get them."

This act of compassion and empathy was overwhelming and something I am certain the family will be grateful forever.