I am writing this in honor of my mom, Pam Williamson. She has spent her entire 34-year nursing career at Forrest General, working between 2T and home care. There are countless stories that demonstrate how my mom has touched the lives of her patients and others.

Many of her home care patients are less fortunate individuals from low-income households. I cannot count the number of times she has encountered patients without basic necessities such as an oven, pots and pans, furniture, a refrigerator, wheelchair ramps, or other essential household items. Time and time again, she has found ways to provide these things, either using her own money or donations from her church, to ensure her patients had what they needed to live safely and with dignity.

Many of these patients have no family or friends to care for them, but my mom extends her passion for nursing far beyond checking blood pressure or treating wounds. She truly does everything she can to support her patients. On her unpaid time, she will visit her patients in the hospital to make sure they are receiving proper care. She has even looked after patients’ homes while they were hospitalized, when they had no one else to do so.

This has been the norm for as long as I can remember. Whether it was a neighbor showing up needing a Band-Aid or someone wanting their blood pressure checked, my mom has always opened the door to help anyone and everyone she could.

In early 2025, the devastating tornadoes that tore through Mississippi passed about a mile from my mom’s house. She received a call that her friend was injured. Despite the chaos of the storm, my mom drove straight to her, navigating fallen trees and power lines to help. When she arrived, she quickly realized how severe her friend's injuries were. Because my mom carries a mobile body board in her car in case of emergencies, she instructed someone to retrieve it.

Even as the weather remained dangerous, with another tornado approaching, my mom stayed with her friend when others felt it was best to leave the area due to rising water and debris. Once the body board arrived, my mom instructed others on how to safely lift her and move her out of the area, which flooded knee-deep within minutes. They were able to move her to a neighboring house that was still standing, where my mom checked her vitals and saw that she was quickly declining.

Her friend's husband was also injured but was able to see his wife for a few moments before he had to lie down due to his own injuries. Shortly after, her friend coded. My mom performed several rounds of CPR, attempting to save her life with the very limited tools she had available, all while loading her into the back of her car and driving to Marion General Hospital.

Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries. However, because my mom refused to leave her friend behind and had the foresight to carry the body board, she was able to give she and her husband precious final moments together. They were able to speak to one another, sharing what would be their last goodbye.

Although my mom was unable to save her friend’s life, she was absolutely a nurse hero that day, just as she has been on so many other days, both on and off the clock. This story is only one of many that could be told about her exceptional response, dedication, and compassion in caring for others.