"My sister Patricia and I wish to extend a sincere and grateful thank you for the professionalism and caring of the staff and employees of Barnes-Jewish Hospital. In particular, the staff of 561CU Cardiac ICU and the 7100/OU/7200 units not only provided excellent care and comfort to our mother, Virginia Murley, but also provided our family with support and understanding.

Enclosed are donations that were provided at the funeral of our mother. Once again, thank you for all that you did for our mother while she was in your care, and we have the highest regard for you and your staff.”

Sincerely,

James Murley and Patricia Murley

When Virginia Murley learned that she had an extremely large aortic aneurysm, she was initially scared of doing anything physical. But Virginia was a quilter and a gardener. She loved to cook and dote on her grandchildren. A stroke had already slowed her down, and now Virginia felt paralyzed. She did not want to live this way.

Virginia decided to take a chance for a better quality of life with high-risk heart surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “She was tired of waiting for something to happen,” says her son, James Murley, “But then the surgery became more complicated by an unexpected blockage, and Mom didn’t come out of the anesthesia.”

Barnes-Jewish became Virginia’s home for the next 10 weeks, and the ICU nurses and physicians became family to James and his sister, Patricia. “They treated my mom and my sister exceptionally,” says James. “They made a place for my sister to sleep by our mother. They talked to us about Mom’s condition honestly, but they didn’t give up. They made the best of a rough situation.”

James and Patricia were an hour away, working on their mother’s cabin, when they received a dreaded call. “Mom was gone by the time we arrived,” says James. “But a nurse held my mother’s hand until we got there.”

Directing Virginia’s memorial tributes to Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation was an easy decision for the Murley siblings. “We wanted the ICU staff who cared for Mom to know that even though our situation didn’t turn out how we wanted, they still made our experience good,” says James. “It is good to know that there are healthcare providers who go above and beyond all the time.”

From Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation Tributes Newsletter, First Quarter 2009