ICYMI: Lynnfield Native Pens Heartfelt Letter to Wife's Caregivers

LYNNFIELD, MA – The tenderness with which doctors, nurses and hospital staff treated Laura Levis before her death moved her husband, Peter DeMarco, to pen a letter of thanks that pulled the heartstrings of readers across the country.

The letter, published here in the New York Times, details how DeMarco can still remember the name of every health professional and hospital staff member that cared for his wife. He asks friends and family: How could he not?

DeMarco, a Lynnfield native and former Somerville resident, writes about how Levis – an Emerson College graduate and Harvard Magazine writer and editor – was cared for at CHA Cambridge Hospital in the seven days after she suffered a serious asthma attack. DeMarco said doctors and nurses would apologize to Levis before giving her a shot, even when she was unconscious. They pulled blankets over her out of concern for her comfort, not her body temperature, he wrote.

"How many times did you hug me and console me when I fell to pieces, or ask about Laura’s life and the person she was, taking the time to look at her photos or read the things I’d written about her? How many times did you deliver bad news with compassionate words, and sadness in your eyes?"

And they treated Levis' parents and DeMarco with the same dignity with which they treated Levis. He describes how they would comfort him when he was facing the final days of his wife's life.

The story has been shared widely, and hundreds of people have commented on the original posting to express their condolences and describe similar experiences in hospital settings.

Levis passed away on Sept. 22, 2016.

Photo courtesy of Mcdonald Funeral Home