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In This Issue:
Evelyn Smith DeMille is no stranger to BWH. In 1981, her son, Jonathan was the first baby born in the new Tower maternity ward, and her second child, Abigail, was born during the Tower’s fifth anniversary celebration.
Last month she was back on Tower 5 where her husband Jack received chemotherapy treatment for Burkitt leukemia. Nearly 30 years have passed since Jonathan was the first tower baby, and the family is grateful to receive the same compassionate care from PCAs, unit coordinators, nutritionists, nurses, physicians and the entire team on Tower 5A.
“It’s obvious this is a team operation,” she said. “This place is special because of all the people who work here. There are not enough superlatives to describe how I feel about the care my husband received as a patient on the Hematology-Oncology Service.”
Jack was discharged April 1, just in time to celebrate his 65th birthday at home with his family.
From Evelyn Smith DeMille
In her own words:
As you can imagine hearing a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, the type of leukemia usually seen in children, was shocking for a 64 year-old man. It brought fear, trepidation, and anxiety for my husband, our children, and me. From the point of his first admission on 5A, things were made more tolerable by caring BWH staff members.
At the top of the list are the nurses, who deliver hands-on care, 24/7. They provide competent, expert services with obvious concern for patient wellbeing. They educated us about the disease while offering comfort and understanding, along with generous doses of hope. As skilled professionals they looked after my husband's physical safety while carrying-out intense, complicated chemotherapy regimens. At the same time they were often able to lighten gray moods with appropriate humor that brought relief through laughter.
I believe and frequently say that a Hospital’s reputation is built and rests on its nurses. That belief was proven true once again. As we were quick to learn, the Patient Care Assistants (PCAs) are an important part of the care team on the floor.
Because most of my husband's admissions at BWH have been on Pod 5A, I want to acknowledge other staff members who helped us during his numerous stays on the unit. From the Unit Coordinators on the day and evening shifts, to the housekeeper who worked hard to keep his room clean, to the Diet Tech who tried to make sure appealing food choices were available, it was obvious this was a TEAM operation. We quickly came to believe 5A was a place made special by the special people who worked there.
As a social worker myself, I appreciated the comprehensive assistance provided by a social worker with expertise in adult leukemia. And, of course, the cadre of individuals who provided my husband's medical treatment, from physician assistants, to interns, residents, fellows and attending physicians, all deserve praise. There are not enough superlatives to describe how I feel about the care my husband received as a patient on the Hematology-Oncology Service.