Receiving the news that you or a loved one is seriously ill is difficult even in the best of circumstances. On Monday, March 8, Lindsay Rabideau, RN, Merritt 3 Surgical, accompanied her identical twin sister Sarah to EMMC's Emergency Department as Sarah had not been feeling well. Later in the day, Sarah got the news that she had a brain tumor. Plans were quickly set into action, the first was to get Sarah's husband, who is serving in Iraq, to come home to be with Sarah and their three-year-old child.
A surgical biopsy was scheduled for Friday of that week. Sarah loves music and plays the drums and given the uncertainties around the procedure, she asked to be able to play a concert prior to her biopsy. The staff on Grant 5 rose to the occasion and quickly acted on her wish. They went above and beyond to help plan, organize, and pull off the concert. Kim Demers, RN, nurse manager, Grant 5, went out and purchased snacks for those coming to support Sarah and her family. The staff on Grant 5 prepared their conference room to accommodate the guests and Lindsay arranged for a band of four to play with her ailing twin.
As a last minute detail, Lindsay thought it would be great to have the concert video taped. All it took was a call to media services and Sean Ward, media supervisor, and Jason Dunkle, media tech, in Education and Training made it happen. They provided a state of the art video system and recorded the event. Once the recording was complete, they made a memorable DVD keepsake for the family. The family could not express their thanks enough; this was more than they had imagined.
Between Grant 5 and the media services staff, Lindsay and Sarah's family enjoyed a bittersweet performance, as Sarah prepared for the procedure that would reveal her future health. When the final pathology report came back, the news was what they had hoped for: it was negative. So the concert became a wonderful memory during a difficult time, and showed EMMC staff at its best – delivering excellent service and putting the patient and her family first.
Moral of the Story
1. You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others – something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. – Albert Schweitzer
2. A person's true wealth is the good he or she does in the world. – Mohammed
3. An ocean wave crashing on the rocks does not intend to call attention to itself, but a splash of such power and beauty is worthy of notice.