More Than a Meal
Living mostly in the hospital for the final months of Haley’s life, one constant each day was the delivery of meals. But it was much more than that - it was like an unusual version of a restaurant visit, and Haley loved it! She anticipated the arrival of the food service workers three times a day - entering our room with a verbal list of options, noting Haley’s selections, then returning shortly with the chosen meal. Haley quickly determined her preferences for each day, and would rattle off her “order” without needing to hear the list. I can picture each of the four food service workers now - they would enter with a smile, greet Haley warmly, and provide a bit of normalcy in the hospital world. I don’t know if they realized how much Haley looked forward to seeing them, not only for the meals brought to her, but for that brief exchange of pleasantries that was a welcome part of our day.
Though all of them were kind, Lindy was extra-special, as she would find a moment to chat with Haley and would leave a note signed with a little drawing if we missed her delivery. We knew that Lindy also visited with other patients, including a teenaged roommate of Haley’s who was quite often alone - we would hear the two of them chatting and laughing on the other side of the curtain. She was a friendly woman with a big heart, and she definitely brought more than a meal whenever she entered a room - she also brought much needed care and compassion.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Lindy several months after Haley died. She told me that she hadn’t known for sure what had happened to Haley - as she was not part of the medical care team, she could only make assumptions about what happened to the patients who were suddenly no longer in their rooms. She said that she liked to believe they had gotten better and gone home, and I suspect most times she was right. I found out she was also a medical mom, as her son had had numerous injuries earned through his passion for extreme sports. We had more in common than I had realized, and she understood my life better than most. Perhaps that’s why she delivered food with a side of empathy.
Food service workers play an important but often overlooked role in a hospital - I commend and appreciate those kind souls who bring “more than a meal” to pediatric patients and to their families.