The best physician I’ve ever encountered is named Mellar Davis (left). He is such a fine oncologist that he was recruited away from the hospital I used to run, Riverside Methodist, to go to the Cleveland Clinic. His devotion to his patients was stunning. His compassion was saintly.
The most caring nurse I’ve every encountered is named Deadre Hall. For more than thirty years, she has started her day with prayers asking God to help her be a vehicle of Love. Her prayers have been answered. You can see Deadre’s love in action in our film, The Servant’s Heart.
Who is the finest caregiver you ever encountered? Describe what makes them such a marvelous expression of Love. Click on the Comment section (below) to share your description. Your comment is sure to brighten someone’s day!…
Journal of Sacred Work
Caregivers have superpowers! Radical Loving Care illuminates the divine truth that caregiving is not just a job. It is Sacred Work.
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10 responses to “Friday Open Forum: Your Best Caregiver”
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It is difficult to choose the finest caregiver as I am surrounded by a few hundred here at Alive Hospice. But as I patient, I have experienced a few. A particular nurse comes to mind during the difficult and emergent delivery of my twins. As I was being prepped for the C-section, my body was violently shaking from loss of blood, being cold and probably fear. She literally enveloped me with her body and a warm blanket and held on to me until I stopped shaking. She offered soft reassuring words that helped me focus on healing. After that, the Anesthesiologist was the angel that guided me through the rest of the surgery. His expertise, his kindness, his humor and his gentle touch will always be remembered.
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I’m with you, Karen. I don’t know if I could single out any single person from all the caregivers I’ve known through the years as the best. I find my mind searching to identify groups of caregivers who have modeled what I would consider “the best” in caring. I also look for those who have given their care to me personally. This is really tough. And as soon as I type that I think what a blessing that is! Wouldn’t it be sad if the pool were so small that it were easy to answer the question!
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As I reflect on this question so many wonderful people flood my mind and I realize how grateful I am for the many Loving people who gift my life in so many ways.
I Love the way…
~Dina Montalvo and I (working together for 17 year) share little intimate snippets with each other and laugh till tears come.
~Victoria Facey, thoughtfully asks, “And how are you?’ My automatic response, “Fine,” pause…with a come back “Did I tell you I am a big liar?” And how we laugh in a way that connects.
~Linda Glomp is fair-minded, able to make tough decisions, leads with a kind heart; and how she announced kidding, “Liz is my favorite.”
~Cristina Ruby is a Lover of life and of people; how she beat the odds and lives to Love; and how she inspires the miracles that she sees in others.
~Marilyn Donan chooses me as her best friend to share in her daily experience her hearts secret joy, pain, frustrations, worries, and how she faces tragedy with a matter-a-fact attitude of great courage and fortitude.
~Erie Chapman opens his heart to reach out to caregivers and extends an invitation to live Love. Thank you for keeping your heart open…
~Jen Reynolds scrunches up her lips to her nose and brings out my crazy joy, and how she dances for her patients when they are able to master their ostomy care.
~Shirley Irby provides Loving expert care to patients, her passion, and how she understands the language of my soul.
~Woody Wessel takes care of me with so many little kind gestures and how he generously offers care to family and friends alike.
~Gay Lindsey returned from far away to be a part of our lives again, and how she is a sister that my spirit has always known.
~Dr. Stanley van den Noort who has given unreservedly his entire life to caring for patients with Multiple Sclerosis and to educating physicians, impacting the lives of so many, but especially mine.
~June Van den Noort has the resolve to face life’s difficult challenges with tireless energy, elegance, and grace, and her understated giving and wholehearted loyalty to family and friends.
~Rorie Ramirez lives her duty to care for her ill family member with great devotion; and how she joins in our circle and tells stories to make us laugh.
~Mareanne Fontenette “M.F.M.” has a big heart and generous laugh for all, truly a party unto herself!
~Ann Kaiser whose enthusiasm and energy for going out to save the world is filled with joyful devotion.
~Dr. Brian Boyd calls palliative care patients during conferencing to talk with them and learn how best to be of help in his kind and gentle way.
~Rejeanne Wessel, grandbaby, has captured my heart with her innocent trusting Love, offering pure joy; littlest angel whom I adore.
And the many others who illuminate this world with their love…LikeLike
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The best caregiver I’ve ever known is Liz Wessel. She has taken care of so many people in so many ways!
As an RN, she never misses even the smallest detail. She is the best clinician I’ve ever known because she listens and takes her time to understand every last bit of information.
As a friend, she has sat with so many of us in our times of crisis. She sat with me when the surgeon came out to tell me things hadn’t gone well for my husband in surgery. I’ll always remember that she was crying, too!
She has gone to sit with so many people in their time of need and comforted them in hospitals and at home. And that can’t be easy to take on so many other people’s pain.
To me, she is the ultimate caregiver, whether it’s care for someone’s ill body or for their aching heart. She always knows what to say or not say. Anyway, I know I always feel better after I talk to her.
In tribute to my very best friend, Liz Wessel. An angel on earth.LikeLike
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Liz quietly mentioned me that she wrote about me today in the Journal of Sacred Encounters. So, I hurried to look at it (smile).
Often I try to read every weekly one that Liz sends out. But today held the most meaning, as I read the last note by Marilyn Donan, who credits Liz as her best friend and ultimate Caregiver.
Ultimate Caregiver – how true this rings…
There are days I don’t know how I would sanely reach the end of them – then there’s Liz smiling, her warmth and optimistic spirit always has a positive effect on me. She is such a special person to know and work with. Thank you, Victoria.LikeLike
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I’m a bit embarrassed and humbled…
I would Love to see this thread keep on expressing Love in infinite ways.
I Love the way…
~ Friends of the Journal, Karen, Tom, Diana, Jan, Mary Jean, Cathy, others, and especially Erie, commit their hearts to Radical Loving Care strengthening me and so many caregivers by consistently showing up to share in Love. My heart says thank you and so much more!LikeLike
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Note: Last Friday I was going to post this and then I decided to write about several colleagues, not just one person. I sent this off to Dina today and then had a second thought…that I would go ahead and post this too.
On this particular day the person who permeates my thoughts is Dina Montalvo Medical Records Manager. Dina is a person whose beautiful spirit lights up any space she inhabits. She has a most generous and kind heart, a contagious laugh and a spicy passionate attitude towards life. Dina is a very perceptive person who has a sixth sense. She often confides experiences in which a person pops into her consciousness, perhaps someone she has not seen for ages and then she encounters the person. I believe these incidents of synchronicity happen because Dina has a highly attuned intuitive, spiritual presence. She believes in the power of prayer. She is grace filled and beautiful!LikeLike
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I’m taking time out of my wonderful busy vacation in Kauai to send out this sincere thanks to my friends and mentors, my fellow Team 8 nurses in Home Health. They were the finest caregivers I had ever encountered in 30 years of nursing. This team was put together by Gay Lindsey a calm, southern, lady and leader and was the Oncology/Infusion team at our agency. The ones I worked most closely with were Pam Paul, Katie Hatefield and Nancy Goings. They taught me so much about compassion and care of the dying cancer patient. These ladies would courageously give there full hearts to these patients and families knowing full well it would break when the patient died, but content in the fact that when they laid their heads down on their pillow at the end of the day that what they did was right and just. The patients loved them. It was a little sad when I would relieve them and the patient or family would get that scared face on and ask, “But where is Nancy, Katie or Pam today?” Fortunately, I played with these ladies also, so I could reassure them that we were good friends and that they had told me all about them and made me promise to take the best care of them. We have recently been disbanded and spread out amongst the other teams. An unfortunate situation but necessary because of difficult financial times in the health care industry. May God and all of us find a way to help saved our Health Care System before it is to late.
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I wish to pay tribute to two great women, Cathy Klem Director of Professional Services and Rita Lanz Director of Infusion Services. These influential leaders provided years of dedicated service at the SJHS Home Health Network. As pioneers in homecare they helped to shape the development and tremendous growth of our ministry. Through the years, their tireless efforts positively impacted the lives of thousands of patients and the caregivers they taught. I was personally mentored by these talented nurses and I will be forever grateful.
Rita Lanz with her relaxed unassuming expertise always welcomed my daily visits to her office to discuss patients. She guided me and offered suggestions to help manage pain and symptoms effectively. Rita offered the affirmation I needed, that I was using good clinical judgment and providing the best care possible. Rita had no ego to protect; she was there to be of wholehearted service to others.
Cathy Klem’s confident and seasoned leadership was an inspiration and a stabilizing force in times of great change. I had the good fortune to observe her in action and to receive her mentoring through role modeling. She taught me how to manage and navigate homecare operations to provide multidisciplinary services that were well coordinated and of the highest quality. I was glad to call her friend.
I am sad to say these two lovely women died shortly after retirement but their legacy lives on. They both continue to guide my heart as I now find myself in the role of mentor for clinicians and homecare’s future nurse leaders. What an honor to follow in the footsteps of their trailblazing paths.LikeLike
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I wish to pay tribute to the SJHHN Private Duty Team. I was blessed to have so many wonderful caregivers working in my department, that it is impossible to mention just one! They were all truly amazing caregivers, each one having their own set of strengths! From the office staff caring for the needs of the caregiver to the caregivers providing care to the frail and elderly everyone worked hard to make a difference, one person at a time! I am very fortunate to of worked with such incredible caregivers!!
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