Our mother was admitted to your hospital in the telemetry oncology unit for relatively sudden symptoms related to a large pelvic tumor from presumed ovarian cancer metastatic to the lungs, associated with a deep venous thrombosis of the leg, severe anemia, and a very high white blood cell count. She passed away peacefully with her three children by her side.

We wanted to recognize all of the nursing staff on the unit. Everyone was so attentive and concerned. Specifically, we wanted to mention Alma, who, besides her exemplary and compassionate care, was so proactive in anticipating our mother’s needs. For example, she took bladder scans during her shift to assess for urinary retention as a contributor to her discomfort, and she took the time to explain the 3 Wishes Project to us. What an added bonus this was in the midst of the dying process. We ultimately chose a blanket, cloth hearts, and legacy stones with our mother’s fingerprints on them. Alma also offered to crochet a butterfly, which included our mother’s rings, on her own time. She showed us pictures of what she had made for other families. She’s so talented! Whenever we spoke with her, she took the time to explain everything to us without ever appearing rushed. She is such a special person, and we feel so fortunate that our paths intersected. Your wonderful nurses helped to ease our emotional burden during our time of need. We know that our mother’s final memories are happy ones, not only from the family and friends who saw her in the hospital, but also from Alma and her colleagues.

With deep gratitude.