Kindhearted Nurse Helps a Father Fulfill Dying Wish To See Son Play Football One Last Time
Many people are complaining of how bad 2020 has been, but for Scott Sullivan, 50, of Somerset, Kentucky, it’s all he has.
It started with abnormal lab results in August that quickly led to a diagnosis of cancer. He found out he had leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a cancer that affects brain membranes and the spinal cord and generally gives its sufferers a mere two to four months to live.
Sullivan knows he doesn’t have much time left; his doctors told him not to expect more than a few weeks, and he was put into hospice care with Hospice of Lake Cumberland.
Despite all the bad news, Sullivan had one major request: He wanted to see his son play his first football game of the season.
His son, Cade, is a sophomore at Pulaski County High School, but their first game would be taking place over three hours away.
His nurse, Jerree Humphrey, said it wouldn’t work. That much time traveling by car would not do for someone in his condition.
“I thought you know you’re talking seven or eight hours in the car and I said I don’t know how safe that would be or how realistic,” Humphrey told CNN.
A flight, though, would reduce the travel time enough that it might be doable.
But who could fly them out? Nurse Humphrey worked her magic and found a local dentist with a heart of gold.
Dr. Denny Brummett had a plane and offered to fly Sullivan to his son’s game.
“Bucket List wishes are so important,” Hospice of Lake Cumberland shared on Facebook on Sept. 11. “Our patient, Scott Sullivan, wanted to see his son’s first football game of the season — but it was a long way from home. His Hospice of Lake Cumberland nurse, Jerree Humphrey, (pictured far left) got things kicked into motion, and here’s what happened:
“Doctor Denny Brummett volunteered to pilot his plane and fly Scott, Jerree and Kristi Harrison to the game out of the goodness of his heart! Here they are before take off.”
Sullivan was able to attend the game, seated on a hill rather than the bleachers for extra social distancing. When Cade spotted his dad before the game, he ran up and wrapped his dad up in a big hug.
“Words could not be put into sentences or phrases to describe how I felt at that time,” Sullivan said. “I was just so happy to see my son.”
“You could just not help but cry,” Humphrey added. “He just embraced him so hard and was just so thankful for him to be there.”
The photos are heartwarming, and something that Cade can hold onto for years to come.
“Dr. Brummett expertly landed the plane and there was Scott Sullivan’s son, Cade, waiting to embrace his dad,” the hospice shared on Facebook. “Our heartfelt thanks go to Dr. Brummett, without whom, this could not have been possible.
“We are all sending our love and best to Scott and his family.”
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