On an early morning in July, my 82-year-old sister fell out of her bed at home and broke her left femur, ankle, and wrist. She was transported by ambulance and ultimately admitted. She was operated on for her injuries the next day and put on the second floor after surgery, but due to complications, she was transferred to the MedSurg Stepdown unit.

The nurse assigned to my sister’s care was Kate Ryan. Kate is one of the most caring and compassionate people I have ever met. She was constantly checking in on my sister and asking if family members needed anything. When my sister took a turn for the worse, the hospital chaplain was called up to give her the last rites. Kate entered the room and began crying with the family. I was truly amazed by her heartfelt compassion for my sister and the family, something so rare to see in today’s world.

Kate made my sister and family feel extremely loved. She is truly an extraordinary nurse who lives up to the Mercy Hospital motto, “Together we can touch more lives, save more lives, and improve more lives.” My sister passed away on another unit at the hospital. Her obituary was posted on the funeral home website, and prior to her burial, we noticed a beautiful letter posted to a tribute wall for my sister. The letter was from nurse Kate! She had to follow up on my sister after she had been moved from her floor and found out that she had passed, and to which funeral home she had been taken.