My dad was hospitalized. It was discovered that he had a massive cranial hematoma. It would be a few days before he could have surgery. We first met Katie Sarles during this time. Katie is a charge nurse but happened to be working on the floor of the ICU unit my dad was in. She was his nurse. It would be the last 'good' day my dad would ever have. Although Dad's sense of humor was still intact, he had little interest in eating or getting out of bed to walk. While my sister and I waited out in the hall, Katie was able to get my dad to walk short distances by encouraging him to greet his daughters. She got him to eat a little bit and kept up with his sense of humor. Katie's level of care and compassion allowed me, my mom, and my sister to feel safe enough to go down to the cafeteria and have a meal together. She not only made us feel at ease, she made my dad feel comfortable, too.

Unfortunately, Dad's health declined after the surgery. We found ourselves in our worst nightmare. All hope was gone, and we had to make the heart-wrenching decision to let my dad into comfort care. Katie was the charge nurse during these last days of his life. Having Katie with us again was like having a trusted family friend by our side. We were exhausted and overwhelmed. Katie showed us great empathy and continuously made sure all our needs were met. With Katie as part of our nursing team, there was no lapse in care. My dad was kept comfortable and his dignity was protected to the end.

While our experience during my dad's hospital stay brought many great nurses to our attention, Katie Sarles really stood out. Her patience, kindness, and compassion brought us great comfort during a very difficult time. My family will always be grateful for Katie's excellent care.