Hospital Staff Holds Woman's Hand So She Won't Die Alone After She's Taken Off Life Support

Aug 31, 2019 by apost team

A moment of compassion shows the dedication and caring the medical community brings to their patients. It's as simple as holding a woman's hand while she is taken off life support, so she won't have to die alone.

A 40-year-old woman was brought into the A&E department of Barnsley Hospital in Yorkshire. She had gone into cardiac arrest and the doctors and nurses were frantically trying to resuscitate her. Her heart, however, had stopped several times already. The crash team decided that it was time to remove the equipment that was keeping her body alive.

Doctor George Kay and head nurse Hannah Ryan stayed with the woman, while the rest of the team headed out to treat other patients that were coming in. George and Hannah were determined to keep this patient company until she passed away.

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This heartbreaking story was captured on film in the Channel 5 documentary, "Casualty 24/7." Viewers could see Hannah stroking the woman's hand gently as she slipped away. The documentary team was there to film the everyday happenings in a normal A&E department.

They spoke with Dr. George Kay afterward. "I think working in the Emergency department, it makes you realize that life is potentially more fragile than we think it is," he said in the documentary.

Nurse Hannah Ryan said they try to do everything they can for each patient who comes in. But, there is only so much you can do in some cases.

"I wanted to be there as she passed away, which is why I personally stayed with her", she told the documentary crew. "I put my uniform on and I'm Hannah the nurse, I'm not mum or wife or daughter, and it's when you take your uniform off again at night, that's when you have to think about what you've gone through that day."

Viewers of the documentary praised the compassion shown by everyone, especially Hannah Ryan and Dr. George Kay. "How sad that lady had no relatives with her when she passed but at least the doctor and nurse were with her," tweeted a viewer.

Please let us know your thoughts on the compassionate gesture of Nurse Hannah Ryan and Dr. George Kay. Give others the chance to see this for themselves by passing along the link.