When Michelle Greene, RN, heard that the daughter of a terminally ill patient was planning to take pictures in her wedding dress with her dad in his hospital room, Greene had a better idea.
“I’m sure the hospital room is not where she wants to imagine him, it’s not where he wants to be,” said Greene, a palliative care nurse at the Roseville hospital. “We have a beautiful courtyard, and I just thought it would be a really special moment for him.”
In early January, Kaiser Permanente member Loren Bucher, 62, had been at Roseville for a week, receiving care for a liver injury and a blood clot, among other serious conditions. Before he was discharged, the team planned a photo shoot for he and his family because his daugther, Hannah Bucher, was getting married soon. He didn’t know if he would be well enough to attend the wedding.
“It’s not about me or us,” said Greene. “It’s about what is helpful and healing for them.”
Managers including David Hall, BSN, RN, and Lyzah Bati Alforque, MSN, RN, paved the way for staff to facilitate the event.
A conference room was secured so the bride could get dressed. Greene arranged a donation of flowers from the Roseville Trader Joe’s store. Hospital-based specialist physician Stephanie Campbell, DO,provided cupcakes, and the Environmental Services team spruced up the courtyard.
Nurse Ruzanna Kajikyan, RN, helped Bucher get dressed in a suit with a perfectly tied tie and a freshly shaven face.
“He was telling me about his wedding day and how precious it was for him to be here with his daughter,” said Kajikyan. “This is not just a job. When we said we will make patients feel better soon and bring some healing into their lives, it’s not just physical healing, it’s spiritual emotional healing, too.”
Dad, mom, nana and papa (grandparents), the bride, and her sister smiled as staff snapped photos and captured memories from every angle. Everyone involved wanted it to be a day to remember.
“I couldn’t be more thankful for the staff and the fact that they took the time to put this together,” said Loren Bucher, who is now in hospice care, for terminally ill people. He is doing better than expected and was able to attend the wedding on January 19.
Greene reflects on this experience: “People (who are dealing with a terminal illness) often feel a loss of control, so bringing a touch of humanity reminds us why we do this work. These moments lift spirits, and something like this can be a ripple in the pond, reminding us we are taking care of people just like our family.”
