My grandmother passed away from a sudden stroke. Julie and the entire team working the floor were so kind and compassionate, not just to my grandmother but to my mother. My grandmother had been relaxing in a chair after requesting to have someone come and move her so she could recline, and the staff went above and beyond to make sure this would happen. My grandmother had been seeming to improve in health when she suddenly had a stroke.

The nurses rushed over to transfer her from the chair, but my mom stopped them and said, “Wait, let me kiss her goodbye; she has a DNR.” The nurses stopped and stepped aside, allowing her to kiss her mother and say goodbye. They were so careful and respectful while moving my grandmother to a stretcher to do final testing. They made sure to clean her up and present her well for my mother to say her final goodbye and for her to receive the last rites.

Julie went above and beyond, staying well past the end of her shift to hug my mom, comfort her, and cry with her. All the nurses on the floor made a basket for my mom with snacks and coffee for her to take with her. My mother is 60, but in that moment, she was just a scared little girl who wanted her mommy and couldn’t have her. Julie saw that in a total stranger. I cannot overstate my gratitude that Julie was there to share the weight of that sorrow with my mom, so it was easier for her to carry home with her that night.

Julie and all the nurses and aides on the floor are living proof that angels are real.