When sick patients come into a professional setting, we expect nurses and doctors to do everything they can to help them recover and thrive.
Unfortunately, palliative care nurses can often only put their patients at ease and support them during their final days. One such elderly man entered a Kalamazoo hospice at Bronson Hospital, where his beloved daughter often came to visit.
However, during a visit, she noticed that her father’s carers were preparing for something unusual and immediately knew she had to film what was happening.
Rob Olson, 85, appeared fit and healthy in retirement. Soon after, however, his health began to deteriorate rapidly and he began to suffer from breathing difficulties. He was struggling to survive.
Rob’s family were devastated that he couldn’t leave the hospital and he was admitted to Bronson Hospice. For the majority of patients, this is a sign that the end is near.
Brenda Buurstra is a palliative care nurse and has a reputation for going the extra mile when it comes to comforting and uplifting her patients. She began caring for Robert, and quickly the two developed a strong bond.
Rob’s daughter, Roberta, hoped to be able to spend her father’s last moments by his side. She visited him regularly, making sure he was well cared for and in good spirits.
Upon arriving, Roberta spotted Brenda giving her father a “different” type of nursing care than other hospice patients. Roberta then spent her visits publicizing Brenda’s unusual style…
Apparently, Roberta secretly filmed Nurse Brenda providing her father with an “untraditional” form of care.
Robert informed his nurse of his immense love for a certain song: “You Light Up My Life”. The next day, Brenda came back after printing the lyrics to the song on a piece of paper. She asked Rob if he wanted to sing with her, and she had every last word memorized. Brenda sang for the old gentleman as he listened, captivated.
“He said, ‘My favorite song is ‘You Light Up My Life.’ “And I just started singing it,” Brenda said.
Roberta couldn’t believe what she heard when Brenda started singing.
In no time, she had pulled out her camera and started capturing Brenda’s touching and compassionate gesture. His thoughts ? “I’m just blown away because the woman has a voice,” Roberta told ShareTap.
Surprisingly, as she watched, her elderly father began to sing, although he was barely able to speak. The happy girl explained, “Even through his little ventilation mask he was wearing, his eyes lit up. His whole face changed and he had a big smile.
No one thought Rob would manage to sing alongside the unique Brenda, but that’s exactly what happened.
“You could tell that song lit him up. Literally ‘You Light Up My Life’, that song really lit him up. You could tell it touched his heart.
Although Brenda’s caring efforts for each patient never go unnoticed, she gave Rob a special kind of care.
A few days after she gave her private musical performance, he began to recover.
His doctors had previously warned Robert’s loved ones that he was likely to die in a hospice, but only seven days later Rob was released and on his way home.
Those close to her say Brenda’s kind treatment is what made the difference, recalling how he was barely able to speak when first admitted.
As Brenda shared with WMMT: “He has heart issues but because of his age they can’t put on a pacemaker.”
Watch Brenda sing for Rob and how he reacted to her in the video below:
