UCHealth Nurses Help Deliver a Final Anniversary Wish

On the brink of her final goodbye, a 74-year-old woman had one final wish: to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary with her husband.

A group of caring ICU nurses and palliative care experts at UCHealth Memorial Hospital North went above and beyond to ensure the patient’s  final days were special.

That included throwing her an anniversary party, complete with the couple’s traditional favorite: some sushi.

The woman’s anniversary was about a week away. She was critically ill, and doctors confirmed that she didn’t have much time left.

So the nurses and palliative care pros jumped into action. Ashley Greanias, Megan Drash, Caroline Anderson, Ali Wirt and Cindy Cardwell worked hard to ensure the patient was as comfortable as possible and started planning a celebration.

“She didn’t come to the hospital with any plan other than to stay alive,” said Wirt, an advanced practice nurse with the palliative team. “She had heart failure and related complications. It became apparent that she wasn’t going to survive the hospital stay.”

With the help of her team, the patient made it to her anniversary.

The couple had a tradition of enjoying sushi on their anniversary each year.  Since the patient couldn’t leave the hospital, the staff, at Wirt’s suggestion, made sure they could keep the tradition alive at the hospital.

Drash volunteered on her day off to pick up sushi from Sushi Rakkyo in Colorado Springs after the group determined what kind of sushi the patient liked.

Greanias decorated the room where the couple and a few family members would celebrate. Anderson created special table settings, and Cardwell provided the dessert.

The couple enjoyed tempura, yellowfin tuna, a sushi roll, dumplings, salad and sparkling cider that was kept cool in a suction canister used as a makeshift ice bucket.

“They were very sweet and very grateful and appreciative we were able to do that for them,” Anderson said. “I just think about if my family was in the hospital and it’s the worst point of their life. I think how I’d want the staff to treat them. It feels good knowing I’m doing something good instead of just working my 12 hours and going home.”

The dinner and anniversary celebration lasted several hours.

Once the party ended, the patient opted to transition to comfort care, and she passed away the next morning.

“You could tell she was a devoted wife and mom through and through,” Wirt said. “She was on extensive oxygen support to survive, and she appeared to be putting up with a lot of struggles in order to be present with her family. The strength she demonstrated was really beautiful.”

Jennifer De Sousa, the nurses’ manager, said the team members often look for opportunities to make a big difference for patients.

“A lot of times, it doesn’t get to the level it got to with this (party), but it’s a daily thing for them,” De Sousa said.