August 2019
Jean
Gramza
,
RN
Outpatient Pediatric Hematology Oncology
Memorial Hospital of South Bend
South Bend
,
IN
United States

 

 

 

Words are not enough to describe Jean. I am writing as a witness of her endless benevolence. I am the sister of a patient. Our parents don't speak English, which can often present a barrier. Jean takes the time to care for the entire family whenever my brother goes in. There isn't one specific circumstance, rather a whole culmination of kindness that she has bestowed on my family. My example, though a small one, is that she would always try to teach me about her job. I was curious about all that she was doing and would take the time to explain everything. When my brother goes in she is attentive to him and his every need. My mother can often feel alone in the room and despite the inability to fully communicate, Jean always incorporates her into the conversation and takes the time to address her concerns. Jean isn't the kind of nurse who goes home and forgets about her patients. My brother, a picky boy, wasn't eating much. Jean noticed that on one of his visits he had grabbed a pack of animal crackers. Shortly after leaving the hospital, he was readmitted and Jean came to check on him with animal crackers in hand. Without knowing it, she had made my brother's stay a lot easier. On another occasion, my brother was going in for a check-up and Jean, like clockwork, brought my mom a warm blanket because she knows my mother always gets cold. Jean always greets us with the warmest of smiles like she has known us her whole life. Cancer is never an easy diagnosis, and being at the hospital constantly isn't any easier, yet Jean made our visits not only tolerable but sometimes enjoyable. Jean does all this because it is in her nature; she's never seeking recognition. Every visit, she takes the time to tell my brother he is a handsome young man. As a boy who was struggling with body image issues and hair loss, she took the time to remind him that he was still handsome. He says "It's a statement that makes you forget about everything and feel good about yourself. That was something I hadn't felt in two years." Jean is an exemplary nurse and a true beacon of hope.