A Sister’s Gratitude for Compassionate Care that Never Stopped

When Missy didn’t show up for work one Friday afternoon in early September 2025, her coworkers at the 911 call center in DeRidder, Louisiana, knew something wasn’t right. Missy didn’t miss work. When calls to her phone went unanswered, concern quickly turned into action. 

Coworkers went to Missy’s home and found her unconscious. She was rushed to a hospital in Lake Charles, where doctors began piecing together what had gone wrong and working to stabilize her condition. They soon discovered Missy had been battling a severe urinary tract infection and was experiencing serious complications involving her kidneys and liver.  

Despite the team’s best efforts in Lake Charles, Missy’s condition continued to decline, and they knew she needed a higher level of care. 

“We didn’t know yet where Missy would be taken, so her children and I prayed over the next hospital bed she would end up in, that it would be the right place for her,” recalled Dot, Missy’s older sister. “I’m grateful to say our prayers were answered, and Missy ended up exactly where she needed to be.”  

Reassurance when they needed it most 

Early in the morning after she was found at her home, Missy was flown to East Jefferson General Hospital.  

“My daughter and I started driving towards New Orleans before we knew exactly where Missy would be taken,” Dot explained. “Once we found out it was East Jefferson, we called ahead to make sure Missy had arrived and to let them know family was on the way. The lady on the phone kept saying, ‘The most important thing is that you get here safely.’ That meant so much to me because it showed they weren’t just caring for my sister. They were already caring for us as her family.” 

When Dot and her daughter arrived at East Jefferson General Hospital, they were tired, emotional, and unfamiliar with the campus.  

“As we were walking in, some staff members could tell we were lost,” Dot said. “They stopped, asked if we needed help, and walked us right to Missy’s unit. They could have kept going with their work, but they stopped to help.” 

It was a small moment of compassion, but one of many that Dot remembers from the days that followed.  

“It was the little things that showed us how much everyone there cared for us,” Dot said. “For example, my sister’s first name is Melissa, but her friends and family knew her as Missy. The staff at East Jefferson General Hospital learned that and called her Missy. They didn’t have to do that, but it made our experience more personal and caring.” 

An unwavering commitment to care 

A doctor and nurse met Dot and her daughter at the door of the intensive care unit where Missy was.     

“They gave us a quick update, then said they would meet us in the waiting room in a few minutes,” Dot said. “The doctor was so kind, taking his time to answer every question we had. That’s when we learned Missy was now septic and experiencing liver and kidney failure.”  

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that happens when the body has an overwhelming response to an infection, causing widespread inflammation and organ damage. To manage her kidney failure, Missy required continuous dialysis to remove waste and excess fluid from the body, round-the-clock monitoring, and constant adjustments to her care.  

“Unfortunately, we don’t know what got Missy to that point,” Dot explained. “There’s so much we don’t know about the hours leading up to the afternoon when her coworkers found her at home.”  

As the team continued to manage Missy’s complex situation, Dot remembers their persistence and determination.  

“Missy was very sick, but the team never stopped doing everything they could for her,” Dot said. “They always talked about ‘when this number improves, we’ll do this’ or ‘when she gets better.’ Even when it became clear she wasn’t improving, they didn’t give up.” 

Dot wishes she had a list of every East Jefferson General Hospital employee who crossed her path, saying that each one was special, but a few names and faces stand out in her memory.  

“I know Chris had other patients he was caring for, but he made us feel like Missy was the only patient in the entire unit,” Dot recalled. “Every time we looked up, it seemed like he was there checking on her. He made sure every test was done on time and that nothing was missed.”  

Compassion that made time for goodbye 

About 48 hours after Missy arrived at East Jefferson General Hospital, Dot got the call she had been dreading.  

“It was about 1:30 in the morning when the doctor who greeted us when we first arrived called me,” Dot said. “He wanted me to know that Missy’s numbers were turning. Dialysis was no longer able to keep up, and she was on the highest dosage of blood pressure medicine. He said it was time for us to come back to the hospital.”  

Soon, the waiting room was filled with Missy’s loved ones—her children, Dot and her daughter, and Dot and Missy’s younger brother.  

“I remember that our nurse that morning was Katie,” Dot said. “She was so sweet and kind. Even though there were only supposed to be two people in the room at once, Katie saw that Missy’s children needed each other’s support, so she let them go back together to say goodbye.”  

Even after the decision was made that Missy had endured enough and it was time to take her off life support, the family wasn’t rushed.  

“Katie patiently walked us through the process and was very clear that it could be done on our time, once everyone had a chance to be with Missy one last time,” Dot recalled. “She even called for a chaplain to visit us, and that was a blessing. I have never heard someone pray like he did, and it was so comforting.”   

Peace that came from answered prayers 

Missy passed away shortly after being taken off life support, just three days after she was found unconscious at home. Though the family did not receive the outcome they had hoped for, they left East Jefferson General Hospital with peace.  

“We could not have asked for better care for Missy,” Dot said. “They did everything they could to help her. I haven’t been back to Metairie since then, but I know I will visit East Jefferson when I’m in the area, just to remember the people there and the compassion they showed us and Missy. We prayed Missy would end up in the right place, and East Jefferson was the answer to those prayers.”   

To those who loved her, Missy was unforgettable.  

“She loved big, especially her kids and grandbabies,” Dot recalled. “She thought she was Wonder Woman and believed she could save that world – that’s probably why she loved her job at the 911 call center so much. I told the nurses who took care of her a lot of stories about our childhood antics. I wanted them to know who they were caring for, and they were kind enough to listen and laugh with me. That brought joy to the long hours at Missy’s bedside.” 

At East Jefferson General Hospital, we know that caring for patients also means caring for the people who love them. We are here for patients and families through every moment, offering care, comfort, and compassion when it matters most.