This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
In 2013, Janet Kahn-Scolaro's sister, Susan Kahn, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. About a year later, she was admitted to a hospital in Bronxville, New York.
Kahn had been hoping to attend the high school graduation ceremony for her daughter, Ruth Ferree. But it quickly became clear to everyone that Kahn’s condition was getting worse.
“We realized that my sister was probably not going to make it to her [daughter’s] graduation,” Kahn-Scolaro remembered.
So the hospital staff and a few friends came up with a plan: They would recreate the ceremony, right there in the hospital.
“At first, I thought I could not bear to stand there and watch this happen in front of me,” Kahn-Scolaro said. “But I realized that the hospital staff was giving us the greatest gift ever.”
A week before the high school ceremony, dozens of people gathered in Kahn’s hospital room. Along with members of her family, Ferree’s principal, teachers, superintendent and other students also attended.
Ferree wore her cap and gown and was presented with her diploma. They then moved to a room next door, where the staff had set out snacks and drinks for a reception.
“Just as it would be for the typical graduation,” Kahn-Scolaro recalled. “My sister rallied that day, and so did the rest of us.”
Kahn died a few days later, on June 9, 2014.
“But she was able to see and experience her joy of watching her daughter graduate and going on to her dream college,” Kahn-Scolaro said.
Ferree went on to graduate from Skidmore College in New York. She’s now working as an emergency medical technician.
Looking back, Kahn-Scolaro is still struck by the thoughtfulness of the workers who cared for her sister. She hopes that sharing this story will inspire other healthcare providers to go that extra mile.
“I’m not sure that the hospital administration or staff could fathom what it meant to my family — to give this gift to my sister and her daughter,” Kahn-Scolaro said. “But I'm forever grateful.”
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
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