Who is the Patient?

Mary Ann was unmarried and had no children when she suddenly fell ill while on vacation. Her family was across the country, and hospitals were limiting visitors due to a Covid wave. There was no one to talk to the medical staff, no one to tell them about who Mary Ann was as a person.

How could her doctors know who our dear Mary Ann was, with almost no visitors to tell them and a breathing tube that prevented her from talking?

I put together some details on a single sheet of paper to share about our dear friend and asked the nurses to have it prominently taped to a wall in her hospital room. I hoped that it would help the medical staff connect with Mary Ann, to get a sense of the joy she brought to the world.

My name is Mary Ann, and my friends wanted you to know this about me:

I’m a bright light in their every day.

I am a writer - a phenomenal, creative, whimsical writer. I was the editor of some prominent magazines in my career heyday, which was a blast.

I have a ton of friends: most of them are creatives. I am a published writer, as are many of my friends. I have a dear friend who is a New York Times bestselling author (many times over).

I’m a super positive person. I don’t like gossip. I do, however, love to laugh and giggle and drink Prosecco.

I live in an apartment in the Upper West Side with my two cats (who I miss very much). My sweet home is filled with light and plants and loads of color - from my furniture to my paintings.

I am a great artist. My artwork is creative and happy and colorful - like me!

Please take good care of me - think of me as your favorite Aunt.

With gratitude,

Mary Ann's friends

It’s easy for a patient to be reduced to an illness; a body in a hospital bed, wearing the same drab-colored gown as every patient, with breathing apparatus covering their face. Someone who once cared about appearance wears no makeup; hair is unclean and unbrushed, nails unmanicured. Patients blur together.

Humanizing a patient was a struggle before Covid. It is more important than ever for us, as family, friends, or caretakers, to do what is within our power to help our loved ones. It may make a difference in a medical professional shifting their question from “How can I treat this disease?” to “How can I help my patient?”