WESTFIELD-JoAnne Guiel had two wishes before she passed on May 11 – to see her family in Florida one more time and to acknowledge how grateful she was to Baystate Noble Hospital for helping her make that wish come true.
Guiel came to Baystate Noble Hospital earlier in the year for what she thought was a severe cold and less than a week later she learned she had metastatic lung cancer that had spread to her brain. From that moment on, Guiel shared with family, friends and her Baystate care team that her last wish was to spend as much time with her family as possible, including her son Scott, his wife Rachel, and their children, Bella and Alyssa, who reside in Jacksonville, Fla.
Baystate Health’s patient care team for JoAnne Guiel included Teresa Lazorczyk, RN, Ryan Stork, RN, Laura Cardaropoli, RN, BS, Baystate Home Health liaison, Dr. Ali Shahzad, Baystate Noble Hospitalist, Tracy Clapp, RN, BSN, educator and manager of Case Management, and Caitlyn Ziobrowski, RN, BSN case manager. (Submitted photo)
Tracy Clapp, RN, BSN, educator and manager of case management at Baystate Noble Hospital, said she has been a personal family friend of Guiel’s for many years because her mother and Guiel had been travel partners and co-workers.
“Once I shared the news with our medical care team of JoAnne’s wishes, everyone really pulled together to make this wish come true, and I have to say it was seamless,” said Clapp.
Clapp noted that case management, Baystate Home Health Hospice, Baystate Home Infusion and Respiratory, the hospitalist team and nursing staff all set an example by living out the mission of “together we deliver a higher state of caring.”
“I am so grateful to the entire team for joining me in the yes we can attitude to make this safely happen for JoAnne and her family,” said Clapp.
The team came together to organize what Guiel’s brother, Jerry Trant, named “Mission Flamingo.”
Because Guiel required oxygen, Clapp and part of Guiel’s care team reached out to their colleagues at Baystate Home Infusion and Respiratory to set up portable travel oxygen for the trip to Florida. Clapp also explained the situation and urgency of coordinating the respiratory equipment to Brenda Maloni, quality control coordinator at Baystate Home Infusion and Respiratory. Maloni immediately set up a time for the family to come in to be trained on using the equipment.
Guiel was discharged from Baystate Noble late in the morning of March 19. Trant and his wife Sharon pulled a rental van up to the hospital entrance and went on their way for the family road trip to Florida.
“They stopped in Virginia to rest overnight then continued and completed their journey to Jacksonville the next day,” said Clapp. “From the communication I had with Jerry, I would say that they tried to make it as comfortable as possible for JoAnne.”
Clapp added that the van had been decorated with pink flamingo decorations to set a “positive tone” for the trip.
“Jerry and Sharon asked many questions of myself and other staff so they were as prepared as they possibly could be,” said Clapp.
On March 20, Guiel was greeted by her son and his family – fulfilling her dying wish. Upon her return to Westfield, she mentioned to many associated with her care how grateful she was for the experience and wanted to share her story with others.
Scott Guiel assists his mother, JoAnne Guiel of Westfield, during a spring visit. Guiel passed away in May. (Submitted photo)
“JoAnne was so thankful to the staff at Baystate Noble Hospital for their attentiveness and for helping her to see her family,” said Clapp. “She was also grateful for all of the caring gestures she experienced including a care team member washing her favorite robe at home so that it was clean and fresh for her trip.”
Clapp added that without the collaboration across the continuum of all of the Baystate Noble staff, as well as JoAnne’s family, this wish could not have been fulfilled.
“It absolutely warms my heart to see this amazing family all come together to advocate for JoAnne’s wish and for our team to help fulfill this wish,” said Clapp.
In Guiel’s obituary in The Westfield News, it was noted she was 68 and had been born and raised in Westfield. She was best known as a “relentless giver” who cared deeply for her work, friends and family.
At the end, all of the love that Guiel had expressed over the years to others came back to her tenfold so that her last days were blessed.
