Surprise celebration lifts a patient’s spirits and strengthens their will to fight

Chellis Richards, acute care nurse at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, could see that her patient was noticeably frustrated. The patient recently had hip surgery and wasn’t happy with her progress and mobility. Mentally, she was having a very hard time.

“She was very ready to go,” Richards said, recalling how the patient expressed she didn’t feel like life was worth living.

Dr. Christopher Evilsizer and Richards, both on either side of the patient’s bed, reached out to hold the patient’s hand – and to listen.

The patient relayed that she had been a stay at home mom and that her husband would always find ways to make her feel special and loved. The doctor and nurse encouraged their patient to focus on one day at a time, and to give her body time to get stronger.

During their conversation, the patient, in an off-handed way, said: “I just want to throw a damn party; you know with party hats.”

Richards thought, “I’m throwing this lady a party. That’s all she wants.”

Richards quickly started gathering party decorations that had been stored on the unit. She found party hats embellished with little stars and pom-poms of assorted bright colors and sparkly tinsel.

On her next shift, Richards brought in a chocolate cake, the patient’s favorite flavor, along with dessert for staff to join in on the celebration – chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.

Richards designated a time for the party and was joined by five colleagues in the patient’s room for a celebration of life. Richards created a special moment, giving a little toast to the patient and her life, saying “cheers to you.”

The patient, accompanied by her grandson, was delighted and thankful for the impromptu party. That’s when she said to Richards, “My husband has always made me feel special and you guys made me feel special today.”

The gesture of kindness helped shift the patient’s mindset to one of hope.

“She wanted to try and work hard so that what everyone had done for her ‘wouldn’t be for nothing,’” Richards recalled.

Richards said she tries to make her patients feel special and fulfill simple requests when she can.

“She needed to feel a little loved and celebrated,” Richards said. “And the next day she came off comfort care and was ready to fight and take on her next stage in life.”

Alexandra Helms, nurse manager, honored Richards in a Celebrating You recognition:

“She said her husband always used to make her feel special and the party Chellis threw for her made her feel that way again… This is the kind of heart that we want our nurses to bring to work, and I’m so glad we were able to make our patient smile while she was going through a really hard time, potentially at the end of her life.” Helms wrote in the Celebrating You recognition of Richards.