A Nurse Who Became Family After a Cancer Diagnosis

When my sister was diagnosed with cancer, we found ourselves surrounded by a sublime care team. Amidst so many changes came so many new faces. One of those faces was Eric Z., a night nurse who treated my sister during her initial hospitalization and someone who would become a constant on her care team up until her bone marrow transplant at a different hospital. There is not enough time or words to explain Eric as a nurse, let alone as a human being. Nevertheless, I will do my best in honor of Nurse Appreciation Week because he deserves the praise.

When I realized I wanted to be a nurse, I shared the news with Eric, and he was not surprised. Eric had spent time encouraging my wonder and inquisitiveness as I served as a caregiver for my sister. Moreover, while he always provided phenomenal care that was above and beyond, he also practiced the art of boundaries and professionalism. It was not until my sister’s time at her original treatment hospital ended that Eric shared that he was moving to NYC, and a friendship formed. He assured me that we could stay in touch now that he was not her nurse.

As we awaited the details of my sister’s bone marrow transplant, I endured a devastating personal loss. While at a marathon to support Eric, I got a call notifying me that my fiancé had unexpectedly died. It was Eric who immediately enveloped me in a hug and provided comfort, who made sure I made it home safely, and who continued to check on me in the immediate aftermath of that loss. Eric continued to espouse the advice he had shared since meeting me, that caring for oneself was not selfish but necessary and warranted as a caregiver. True to his words of staying in touch, Eric has always tried to reach out no matter the distance between us.

As Eric prepared to move, my sister was receiving her bone marrow transplant. He made weekly visits to see both of us, often bringing food and giving me a much-needed respite so that I could step away. Always cognizant of not only my sister’s needs but mine too. As I struggled with personal devastation in the face of grief and loss coupled with being a caregiver, Eric’s empathy and offerings of grace and wisdom never wavered. While much of the details of that time shall remain between him and me- Eric’s exudence of continual kindness is something I will never forget.

Once he did move, I made several trips east to visit him and have always been met with hospitality and friendship. He, too, has made several trips back and always makes time for us to get together. In between these trips, we talk, share stories, and offer encouragement and support to one another. Last year, when we thought my sister would pass, he hopped on a flight for the weekend to see her in what was anticipated to be her final days and to be with me. Moreover, in a few weeks, he will once again come to see her as she enters hospice and to celebrate my graduation with me.

Eric was one of the many phenomenal nurses who treated my sister, and I will forever feel indebted to him for all that he and they did. However, he has become so much more than a nurse who treated my sister. Eric is a kind soul, and I am so fortunate that the universe deemed it necessary for us to share time and space. He is someone I now consider family. Just as my sister was blessed to be cared for by Eric, so are all the patients that he sees.

Eric remains an incredibly devoted nurse, providing his sublime care abilities as he now practices at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. I am beyond grateful that he was my sister’s nurse. I am even luckier to have had Eric as a mentor as I pursued nursing, and to me, he is an absolute embodiment of all that is good within the nursing field. I can think of no one I have had the privilege to watch as a bedside nurse and learn first-hand how to be a nurse who deserves a special spotlight as we spend this time celebrating nurses.

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