My father had metastatic oral cancer and was rushed to the hospital due to a catastrophic bleed. While in the ER, he suffered another bleed and had to be intubated. He was then transferred to the ICU, where he had a third episode of catastrophic bleeding and had an emergency embolization procedure done. The hospital staff did not expect my father to make it more than a few days after being in the ICU. He was then transitioned to Phillips House 20 for end-of-life care.

That is where I met Julie. Julie was one of my dad's primary nurses, and she was truly an angel sent from heaven. Julie demonstrated exceptional skill, empathy, and professionalism in every aspect of nursing possible. Julie made sure my dad was always comfortable, she checked on him regularly, and she went above and beyond her regular duties. My dad was in the hospital for a total of 42 days before he passed away, and for the majority of that time, he was unconscious. I called the unit every morning to check in to see how the night went, and Julie would always greet me so warmly and give me a full rundown of the overnight shift, or report, as the nursing staff would call it! If Julie were busy, she would always call me back within a reasonable amount of time.

I visited every day and saw just how cared for my dad was. Julie would always make sure my dad was comfortable, positioned well, and looking up to par. Julie even went so far as to shave my dad's mustache after I had told her he would usually leave it grown out. She checked on him very frequently and truly went above and beyond her regular duties.

Julie also provided so much comfort to my brother and me during this traumatic and challenging experience. Her sweet personality and great humor would always put a smile on our faces. Not only was she checking in constantly on our dad, but also on us. Julie would never leave the room without asking if we needed something. We spent so much time at the hospital that we grew close, and she felt like family to us. Her emotional support during that time is something I will never forget.

One weekend, I brought my son, my dad's only grandson, who is 4 years old, to visit, and he was having a tough time being in the hospital setting and seeing his Papa in the state that he was in. Julie, along with the other nursing staff working at the time, tried to make it a positive experience for him. Julie walked my son around the unit to warm him up and offered him a few little sweet treats. She even went so far as to create a whole scavenger-hunt game for my son to be playfully distracted while he visited his Papa for the last time.

My dad ended up passing away on March 1st and Julie continued to offer her comfort and support to my family and I as we grieved. She made sure I was aware of the services the hospital provided, as she knew I was going to have a hard time telling my son the sad news. I have never come across a nurse as compassionate and caring as Julie, and I hope she can be recognized for all the good she has done!