A reflection from Kathleen $:
My pager went off: ”Urgent consult OBC.” The first in two years, since the advent of the In-patient Palliative Care Consultation Service. As I drove across the Fremont Bridge toward the Oregon Burn Center, I found myself feeling anxious and overwhelmed. This was a huge opportunity to break down a solid barrier by providing (proving to be) a valuable service to this patient and her family, as well as the burn center staff providing their care.
The situation: A 23-year-old mother of 2 (aged 3 and 1-1/2) and 6 months pregnant. Fiancée, 1.5-year-old son, and unborn child died due to trailer fire. Reason for consult: Assist parents with how to talk to their severely burned daughter regarding the death of her son.
I had severed ties with the Catholic Church several decades earlier, yet maintained a devoted relationship with Our Lady of Guadeloupe. Now I found myself praying to her in earnest.
My hand was moist against the doorknob as I entered the small conference room, expecting to meet parents, not a room packed with 30 family members. In that precise moment, the strong odor of too many anxious grieving people confined in too small a space hit me like a hot smelly blast. In the same moment, the cacophony of voices muted to a sudden hush of silence as I entered their space.
I went from feeling utterly inadequate to feeling a deep sense of calm. And Spirit entered the room.
What ensued over the next hour and a half was nothing short of grace at its purest, its brightest. Everyone was heard. This beloved family engaged fully in finding the guidance and path forward that dwelled within each of them – and their family. The burn center staff found the support they needed from the Palliative Care team, and breath was breathed into a partnership between the two.
I knew I had been in the presence of Spirit, that I had been enlisted into service that was beyond my humble scope. I felt my faith stir deep within my soul. I believed in the mystery that had unfolded in my presence. From that day forward I referred to my work as “good and holy work.”