Taking Time to Listen
Date: August 22, 2005

Fran’s 81-year-old husband had not been feeling well, and that little voice that we all sometimes hear told her to call for an ambulance. Fran listened to that voice and within hours her husband was in surgery at Floyd Medical Center. Doctors found three aneurysms that were threatening his life.

Fran was waiting for news about her husband when Lynn Williams, who works in Imaging Services, noticed her sitting alone and asked if there was anything she could do. Fran’s only immediate need was an available ear, and Lynn, though busy with her own work and nearing the end of her work day, stopped to listen.

Fran told Lynn how she and her husband came to Floyd, and what the physicians had found. Lynn learned that Fran, who lived in Kingston, had no children and very few family members to call. So, Lynn sat with her and listened.

“I didn’t mind staying with her,” Lynn said. “My dad had to have that same surgery several years back. I know what it is like to go through that. I know how my mom felt, and how we felt as children. I couldn’t let her sit there by herself with no one to help her understand what is going on back there. She really didn’t understand the severity of the situation.”

The women talked about family and hospitals, aneurysms and surgery, and before long, Lynn ’s shift was over. During their conversation, Lynn had gotten names and telephone numbers, trying to reach family members for Fran, but didn’t get much of a response.

“It seemed like nobody was in a big hurry to be with her,” Lynn said.

Floyd’s chaplain, Dr. Gary Batchelor, stopped by to talk with Fran, and Lynn asked if he would stay with Fran while she went home to check on her family and change clothes.

Lynn lives close by and returned to Fran’s side about 15 minutes later with something to drink, something to snack on and her listening ear.

“I explained to her what they were going to do and what would happen to her husband, that he would go to CCU and that she would have a pretty long night,” Lynn said.

When Fran’s husband came out of surgery, Lynn escorted Fran to the Intensive Care Unit, checked on her husband for her and made sure the CCU team knew that Fran was waiting outside.

Fran’s sister came to the hospital about 9:30 that night, but Lynn didn’t leave immediately. The doctor had pulled her aside and asked her to talk to Fran again to make sure she understood just how critical her husband was.

“I don’t think she understands that he might not make it,” the doctor told her. Lynn did her best to help Fran understand, and it was close to 11 p.m. when she finally left her side, only to return to work at 7 a.m. the next morning and check on Fran again.

Fran’s family expressed their appreciation.

They said they were absolutely amazed that an employee who had worked all day long, who did not know them at all, would be willing to sacrifice her time in such a giving manner.

Lynn didn’t start her day planning to be at the hospital for 16 hours, 8 of them off the clock, but she did. She said she can’t imagine doing anything other than stopping for Fran.

“I know what it is like to sit there and wait and wonder — this kind of surgery can be an 8-hour procedure,” Lynn said. “When you’ve been in that situation, and there is nobody there to explain things to you or to be with you to help you through it, you just need somebody to listen.”

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