“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." ~ Matthew 5:4
A person of uncommon gifts, Camila
always made the impossible appear easy and natural. On 4South she reassured patients deemed
"difficult" by other nurses. One
glance at that brilliant smile against her bright green uniform and their pain
meds worked better, appetites improved and they slept more comfortably.
But this morning her patient, a middle-aged
woman, died the night before. Lauren had
suffered an aneurism while preparing dinner. There were no warning signs, no headaches,
nothing. A congenital brain defect; it
had been a ticking time bomb since birth.
Camila entered Lauren’s room and
spoke to her as if she were still alive, still mattered, still deserved
first-class care. She softly combed Lauren’s
hair and fluffed her pillows for comfort.
Kept alive now only by a
ventilator, Lauren’s lungs rose and fell as if she were still breathing on her
own. Camila held her hand, which felt
surprisingly warm to the touch, and offered a prayer for Christ's healing
mercy.
She remembered a beautiful
floral arrangement left in the staff lounge by a discharged patient. The flowers were still fresh, delicate shades
of pink, the kind of color that brought a confident radiance and pleasant aroma
to the room.
Camila took the bouquet and placed
it on the table next to Lauren’s bed.
Then she called a friend in
Nutritional Services and got hot chocolate for the girls and fresh coffee for
Dad. She gathered up several packets of
Kleenex so they wouldn’t have to ask.
The girls cried while Dad kept
it together, at least for now. Sometime
during the shift, they said their good byes and thanked Camila for her
compassion.
It’s been years, but she still
thinks of them from time to time and wonders how they’re all doing.
Maybe they think of her, too.
Nurses play an essential role in
our everyday lives. While many of us are
sheltering in place due to stay-at-home orders, nurses and other healthcare
professionals head to work each day to care for patients. Nurses also have their own worries at home –
loss of jobs for their spouses, perhaps kids with no childcare, bringing
COVID-19 and other illnesses home to their families.
But, they put their lives on the
line each day because that’s what they’re called to do.
Loving God, we pray for nurses and all who
minister to the sick, dying, and all requiring care. May they be witnesses of Christ's healing
mercy. May we follow their examples of kindness
and compassion. Grant them the strength
and courage to face each day's challenges and to remain faithful in their
ministry of service. Amen
