I wanted to take a minute to share my thoughts about Almey Buchanan, the RN who shared the last day of my husband’s life with our family.

Having never met Almey before, I was a little apprehensive about having a nurse unknown to me at such a crucial time in our lives. We truly could not have been blessed with a better nurse, none more compassionate, kind, caring, thorough, and sincere than Almey Buchanan.

We had been through a long haul with him over the last couple of years, always relying on the expertise of the clinical team at HCA FL JFK Hospital. The support provided by so many gave us such comfort, but to spend the last day with Almey, our hearts overflowed with gratitude as Almey made the unbearable tolerable.

Almey was very attentive all day long, constantly checking to be sure we were each okay, offering to do what she could to bring comfort to us as the day and life of my husband faded away. She did all she could to ensure he was comfortable and warm, talking to him like he would respond. Almey was busy with a new admission as he was taking his last breaths, but she sought the assistance of her team members so she could be with us at the end.

Later that evening, Almey called and gave me a detailed report saying he was prepared and taken to the morgue, adding that all is well. She then thanked us for allowing her to take care of him on his last day of life. My heart breaks as I write this because it was such a devastating time for us, but Almey truly cared and wrapped her arms around us to give us comfort on this sad day.

We all know that nurses are there with a job to do, but some go above and beyond to truly help others make it through the hardest day of their lives, and Almey did just that for our family.