COVID-19 has been a large part of our lives for two years. It has caused mild symptoms for some and life ending ailments for others.

The WakeMed family continues to take each challenge head on, finding strength and supporting each other in the most difficult times.

Below is a story of a husband and wife’s last moments at Cary Hospital while in the care of our COVID-19 ICU team, as told from the accounts of one of the nurses present who stood by their side every step of the way.

Mr. and Mrs. Fortenberry were both hospitalized with COVID-19 in our ICU. After a very difficult course, their daughter decided to withdraw care for them both on the same day, at the same time.

How Their Story Began

Mr. and Mrs. Fortenberry were high school sweethearts, married at 16 and 17 years old. They had just celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. According to their daughter, they were always together and loved spending time with each other.

The Ultimate Decision

We decided that we would move them into the same ICU room and withdraw at the same time while they held hands surrounded by both of their loving daughters. This involved a whole team to coordinate logistics. We worked with clinical administrators, supervisor/educators, our nursing director, respiratory therapists, palliative care and spiritual care to formulate a plan for 7 pm that evening.

One of their daughters was at the bedside. The other was on her way from out of town. We were worried Mr. Fortenberry would not make it until 7 pm. He was tachycardic, dyssynchronous on the ventilator and requiring multiple drip titrations to keep him stable. His care nurse did not crack under this pressure. He was steady, calm and did what needed to be done to care for his patient.

WakeMed Teams Collaborate for the Family’s Final Moments

Staff from respiratory therapy transferred Mrs. Fortenberry on the ventilator from her room into her husband’s room. After setting them up, side by side, hand in hand, we gave the family some time alone with their parents, one last time.

Spiritual Care was able to support the family and give them memory stones with their parent’s fingerprints on them. The once sterile space of a hospital room became a calm space for a family to spend their last moments together.

As soon as we moved Mrs. Fortenberry into the room, Mr. Fortenberry’s heart rate and breathing stabilized. He was now in a normal rhythm with a heart rate in the 70s and 80s. I feel that this was proof that sedatives, narcotics and paralytics can’t separate the connection we have with our loved ones.

With two respiratory therapists, and the primary nurse for each patient present, the patients were extubated shortly after 6 pm.

With their daughters standing beside them, husband and wife were side by side, holding hands, their heads facing one another and, I swear Mr. Fortenberry had a smile on his face.

Our staff watched from inside and outside of the room while they drifted to the next life together. Calm, peaceful and pain free. We watched two daughters make the most difficult decision of their lives: to put their parents ahead of themselves.

Reflections of the WakeMed Charge Nurse

We deal with death in our profession on a daily basis, and more so during this pandemic.

We discuss quality of life and goals of care with nearly all of our patients and families. However, yesterday was different. It was the most beautiful and heartbreaking experience I have had in my 20 years of nursing. We did a great thing, and I am so proud of the team that I work with at Cary Hospital. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

We may not remember every single patient who crosses our path, but this event will stay with me for the rest of my life.

WakeMed is a Special Place

WakeMed is a special place to work — and every day of this pandemic has reinforced this belief.

The WakeMed family is incredibly caring, strong and dedicated — and this is just one example of how they put our patients, their loved ones and quality of care first.

Thank you, health care heroes, for all you do.

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About WakeMed Cary Hospital

WakeMed Cary Hospital — the only full-service hospital in Cary, NC — brings advanced medical care and innovative technology to one of the top-rated places to live in the nation. Conveniently located for residents of western Wake County, it serves as a regional epicenter for specialized medical services and comprehensive care. The hospital is accredited by the esteemed Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals and has won numerous awards for superior service and compassionate care.