Last week, my sister W entered the Condell ICU, suffering almost complete organ failure. My other sister, my brother-in-law, and I stayed with W non-stop, hoping for an unlikely miracle. Amanda Wilkins was W’s nurse over two incredibly difficult nights, and I don’t know how we would have gotten through those sleepless hours without her. Amanda was so gentle in her movements and the care she provided. She showed so much respect to my sister as she tended the machines that were keeping her body going. Even though W was not conscious, Amanda spoke to her so kindly, always explained what she was going to do before she did it, and reassured W when she had to do things that might cause discomfort. We could tell that she viewed my sister as the person she was, not just a body connected to machines.

Around 3:00 AM, we decided to play some music in case W could hear it. We were joking about playing some Grateful Dead because W was a huge fan. It turned out that Amanda was a huge fan, too, and she immediately put on a live jam recording—it was just so W! By the end of her shift, Amanda knew that our family would be gathering together to say goodbye to W that night, during Amanda’s next shift. When she arrived, Amanda was wearing a tie-dye bandana in honor of W, who she had learned was a tie-dye master.

Amanda, alongside our Rabbi, did everything one could possibly do to make a horrific moment in our lives as peaceful and beautiful as it could be. We will be forever grateful to all of the Condell ICU nurses, but especially to Amanda, who gave us an incredible gift.