During Nurses’ Week, stories are shared of the incredible dedication nurses show their patients. Sometimes, nurses find themselves caring for fellow nurses and their families. This can be a touching experience for both nurse and patient, much like it was for Angie Garr and Brea McClain in 2023.
Angie, a Mosaic Life Care Home Health nurse, has been in her field more than 20 years. In 2022, her mother, Janet, passed away from liver disease. After her mom’s passing, Angie knew being assigned to cases like her mother’s would be very hard.
In March of 2023, Brea, a fellow Mosaic nurse at Cancer Care, learned her mom, Susan, was diagnosed with liver failure and needed home health care. It was a very similar diagnosis to Angie’s mother, but Brea didn’t know that yet.
Angie and Brea had never met, but soon would share one of the most personal journeys together.
A Change of Heart
When Angie reviewed Susan’s case, she immediately noticed the similarities between her mom’s case and Susan’s. Would Susan be the patient to help her move forward in the grieving process? Would this be the family she could help by relaying her own personal experiences? Angie felt a tug in her heart to take the case, not knowing what was to come.
An Instant Bond
“When I met Susan and her family, there was an instant bond,” says Angie. “I feel like God put us in this place for a reason. It was healing for me as well.”
Sharing the Burden
“Angie gave mom and our family constant and trusted support,” says Brea. “As a nurse, family members and friends were looking to me for answers, but Angie was there as my person to support me and answer all the questions and help me make decisions.”
At the same time, Angie knew what it was like to be the daughter with a very sick mom.
“Susan would tell me how bad she felt because she was putting her family through this pain,” says Angie. “She felt guilty, and I was able to explain to her that I was once where Brea is, but I’m surviving, and Brea would be the same.”
Angie went beyond being a home health nurse. She became the one Susan talked to about the heavy stuff — to avoid burdening her daughter.
The Ripple Effect
When the time came for hospice, Angie helped with that transition, too. Susan passed away in September 2023, after a brief six-month illness.
Both Angie and Brea learned so much during this journey, helping to grow even more as nurses.
“This experience was healing and changed how I am as a nurse,” says Angie.
“It helped me because I was angry, and when I walked with Brea through her journey, it made me feel like I was less alone.”
“I learned from Angie,” says Brea. “Just seeing how she was with mom, she taught me more invaluable skills as a nurse.”
Celebrating the Circle of Care
This Nurses’ Week, we celebrate the care nurses provide patients as well as the care they extend to each other. Join us in honoring nurses like Brea and Angie whose dedication and compassion create a powerful circle of support that ensures the well-being of fellow nurses, patients and caregivers alike.
