This is a picture of my grandmother, Tripat Kaur, but I call her Badi Mamma. Translated to English from Hindi, that means “big, or wise mother.” She is one of the wisest people I know.
Like lots of seniors during this pandemic, it has been a hard year for Grandma. In June, she had surgery for a vertebral fracture and multiple procedures for gallbladder stones and spinal stenosis. Recovery from all these procedures has been painful and exhausting, made even tougher because of her other conditions, like liver cirrhosis.
When she finally made it to rehab this fall, we got news that she had contracted COVID-19. Given her already fragile state, the virus was especially devastating to Grandma’s health. I was terrified and wanted her to get the best possible care.
Over the last six months, my family has had countless experiences with medical staff from many different hospitals. The staff at St. Joe’s stood out immediately.
Grandma left rehab, and arrived at St. Joe’s on the evening of November 22nd in pretty bad shape. I was so worried because my family had never been to St. Joe’s before; but our fears were calmed immediately after Dr. Carpenter called us with a spot-on summary of her complicated condition. She was in good hands. She was moved to the Covid Ward.
And that was just the beginning of the healthcare team going above and beyond in her care. In the Covid Ward, when Grandma needed translation from English to Punjabi, her personal support worker, Shazia, was there for her. Shazia fed my grandmother her meals and cared for her just like my siblings and I would. Grandma was given excellent care by Dr. Elsobky who followed up with us every day, patiently listened to our concerns, and shared with us the next steps in her care plan.
The nurses involved in Grandma’s care were incredibly patient and compassionate. Jamie set up video calls for my family and also shared all her lab results as soon as they came in; Stephanie took the time to go through Grandma’s belongings and helped to retrieve items she’d left at rehab; Neha patiently set up video calls, fed Grandma and provided nightly updates; Victoria walked us through everything we needed to make sure Grandma could safely come home. We felt cared for and heard.
At a young age, my grandmother instilled in me a desire to give back to my community. My family is making a gift to St. Joe’s to show our thanks for the exceptional care we received from Dr. Carpenter, Dr. Elsobky, Shazia, Neha, Stephanie, Victoria and so many more.
Grandma is now back home, resting and enjoying the company of her family after six grueling months of procedures, recovery from Covid. The staff at St. Joe’s have played a pivotal part in reviving her and bringing her back home to be with her family.
With thanks from Badi Mamma’s proud grandchildren,
Kuljot, Sarabjot, and Simran Anand