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A Special Anniversary
By Bill Fortenberry
When Emilio brought his beloved Rose to Floyd earlier this summer–just three days before their 44th wedding anniversary, neither of them knew how special this anniversary would become.
Rose thought she had had a stroke, but a visit that Tuesday to the Primary Stroke Center at Floyd revealed something different. Rose had a tumor growing in her brain. As the specially trained caregivers who serve patients on Floyd’s Neurosciences Specialty Nursing unit treated Rose’s symptoms, conversation turned to family and Friday–the couple’s 44th wedding anniversary.
Third shift nurse Renee Ware learned the couple had a son serving in the Marines, and, knowing the life-threatening nature of Rose’s tumor, made a call to the American Red Cross. The Red Cross works with the military to bring home soldiers who have family members facing medical emergencies. Rose and Emilio needed their son by their side, and Renee took the lead in getting him home.
Neuroscience Stroke Team Leader Amy Godfrey put her attention toward the couple’s upcoming anniversary. She and the staff didn’t want this to be a sad memory for them. They felt really strongly that this should be a good memory.
“It was a group effort,” Amy said. “When I mentioned that I just felt like we needed to send them something, everybody was on board,” she said. “You never know if this is going to be their last anniversary. We didn’t want them to remember it as a time when she was sick and in the hospital. The memory shouldn’t be about the bad things that happened that week. We wanted it to be a celebration.”
Rose has diabetes, so an anniversary cake was out of the question. Instead, Amy ordered a fruit arrangement. To help make the day more special, the nurses also requested a specially prepared, gourmet meal from the hospital cafeteria. The arrangement and meal were delivered–on a silver tray, no less, along with a rose and card purchased from the gift shop.
Emilio asked the nurses to take pictures of the bittersweet celebration.
“We took pictures, sent them to their cell phones, and left the couple alone. Rose’s husband, who never left his wife’s side throughout her stay, came back with one more request.
“In his sweet Cuban accent, he said, ‘I have only one regret. We did not get us a picture of us kissing, and I always have one,’” Amy said. The nurses, of course, obliged.
Rose was discharged a day or two later to continue the tests and to discuss treatment options for her cancer, but not without knowing the staff at Floyd Medical Center recognizes the importance of family in times of medical crisis.
“This couple is known for their willingness to give, give and give,” Amy said. “It was time to give back to them.”
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