The corona pandemic has affected us in many ways – but among the worst things is that we can’t be close to our elderly and vulnerable.
In worst case scenario, that means that we don’t even have the chance to say goodbye to family members that are dying at hospitals or nursing homes.
This is the real tragedy of this virus. You can’t say a proper goodbye to someone you love. In Italy, the nurses are asking to remove pin-codes from cell phones, so that they have the opportunity to give the last farewell to a patient’s loved ones.
Michelle Bennett had accepted that she couldn’t say farewell to her mother before she died.
Her mom, 75-year-old Carolann Christine Gann, had contracted coronavirus and was fighting for her life at Swedish Issaquah hospital in Washington.
But her daughter was not allowed to come into the hospital and visit her.
“Not being able to be there and hold my mom’s hand, rub her head, tell her the things I wanted to say to her. It was such a helpless feeling, I just remember the days leading up feeling so frustrated and helpless and not being able to talk to her because she wasn’t conscious during that time,” Michelle told CNN.
Fortunately, there was a kind-hearted and amazing nurse at the hospital, who took on a lot of responsibility and made sure Michelle had the chance to say goodbye to her struggling mother.
According to Michelle, the nurse phoned on her private cell and explained that the situation was now getting critical. Her mother wasn’t breathing well and it was only a matter of time before she would leave earthly life for Heaven.
The nurse then took the phone and turned on FaceTime. FaceTime is a video application that allows you to engage in one-on-one video chatting.
“I’m going to put the phone up on her face so you can tell her you love her and say your goodbyes,” Michelle says the nurse told her.
“She won’t be alone, we will stay with her till the end.”
Over the phone, the heartbroken Michelle tried to express her feelings. Lately, she had experienced a somewhat complicated relationship with her mother. The two had recently fought through the sort of trials every mother-daughter relationship goes through – now Michelle wanted to ask for forgiveness.
“I love you very much,” Michelle told her mother.
“I forgive you mom, I love you. I know I didn’t get a chance to say it,” Bennett said.
By that stage her mother was very weak and as she took her last breath in the hospital bed, Michelle could only hope she heard her last words.
“Mom, it’s OK to pass on. It’s OK to go now.”
An hour later, her mom was gone.
The nurse who arranged this heartbreaking last meeting couldn’t hold back the tears when she took the phone back.
“I know how difficult this is for them,” she said. “I can’t imagine being on the front lines of that and having to go home everyday and risk infection themselves, but then have the compassion and empathy to be right there. in that moment as if it was their own mother. That was one of the most amazing things I’ve experienced, “Michelle said.
I am at a loss for words … I can’t imagine the heartache. It breaks my heart that so many people are dying without their loved one’s near and that their family members are going through this horrible emotional hell.
But empathy and commission goes a long way. Thank you to the angels that took care of this lady. God bless this nurse with a caring heart!
