My staff and I at St. Agnes recently were privileged to care for a young mother who was transferred to our unit from a hospice in New Jersey. She came to us with the hope of having us fulfill her final wish: to visit with her two sons, who were incarcerated in a prison in Philadelphia, before she died.

Certainly, this type of request had never been made of our staff. Despite our many questions, we fully supported this initiative. We learned that this would be the first time in two years that she would be able to see her sons—to hug them, kiss them, hold them … and it would be her last.

With our support, the prison staff worked with the St. Agnes security team to manage the logistics of the sons’ visit.

Arriving on separate days, each son was escorted into the VITAS unit. In an effort to avoid attracting attention to their bright orange prison uniforms and shackles, we arranged for the sons to be transported in wheelchairs with blankets placed over them.They were treated with utmost respect by our entire St. Agnes team.

Elaine Ruffings, CNA, served a warm lunch to each son and his guards. Consequently, the guards extended each family visit by 30 minutes. Now that’s what I call VITAS-style hospitality!

On the first visit, this weak mother immediately sat up to get a closer look at her son. He kneeled at her side, then clenched her hand and kissed her face. Few words were exchanged.With tears in her eyes, she held her son tightly.

On both visits, Elaine took photographs of the happy mother and her son so they would have tangible memories of these joyful last moments together.

My staff and I were impressed with what turned out to be a seamless collaboration between St. Agnes Medical Center and the VITAS inpatient
team.

More importantly, a dying heart had been set free. Within 48 hours of her second son’s visit, this fulfilled mother died peacefully in her bed.