My mom was diagnosed with aggressive B-cell lymphoma, and we were transferred to Ohio State The James Hospital. All the nurses have been great, but one stands out to my mom and me: Katie Knight. When we were in the thick of diagnosing, spinal taps, and every test you could think of, she was a beacon of light. She would explain everything to my mom and me, so that we would understand. My mom couldn’t walk at that time, and she hated having to ask for the bedpan to use the restroom, but she put her at ease. I stayed at the hospital with my mom the whole time that visit, and you can imagine how overwhelmed I was talking to doctors and all the other specialists. Not to fear, I would go to my trusted nurse, Katie, and she would help me understand anything I didn’t. She took time at my mom’s bedside, where others rushed a bit. Katie's bedside manner is unmatched. I feel like I have a hospital friend every time my mom comes for treatment now. When my mom left that time, she was not walking and was headed to a nursing home.

Fast forward to a month later, we are back to get my mom’s chemo treatment, which requires her to stay in the hospital until she clears it, and to my surprise, Mrs. Katie is our nurse. This time, my mom is walking with a walker and has done a 180 since we last saw her. She remembered us and was amazed at how well my mom was doing compared to when she was our nurse before. I feel like God puts people in your life when you need them the most. We needed a nurse like Katie who treated my mom and me with respect, explained things to us multiple times when needed, and took time out of her day to really get to know us. You can tell that nursing is a calling for Katie, not just a job. We are living in uncertain times with a new cancer diagnosis, and I can’t say how much having a caring, compassionate nurse has done for my mom’s mental and physical health. Ohio State, The James is lucky to have Katie, and so were we. My mom goes to The James every 21ish days for inpatient treatment, and it’s been a joy having Katie for some of those visits. She’s a true example of kindness; I wish all newly diagnosed cancer patients could have Katie. Thank you for letting me share a bit about our nurse.