Allen Saxon

My Aunt Bess was a true old school nurse. In her close-to-sixty-years in nursing, she refused several offers to become the administrative head nurse for her hospital in Arizona, She insisted she would never accept a position higher than that of charge nurse for her shift because she was devoted to patient care.

In the late 1950s, an old man suffering from extensive prostate cancer was admitted to her floor. Twice she sent her best nurses in to care for him. Both returned in tears. My aunt was aware that he was a difficult patient. He treated everyone with disdain and made racist comments to the Hispanic orderlies.

“Enough of this shit, Buddy,” said Aunt Bess. “ I’m your nurse from now on.”

She took care of him every day for two weeks.

On the day he was scheduled to leave the hospital, he asked her, “ Do you know who I am?’

“ Of course,” she answered, “Everyone does.”

“Then why are you the only person in this damn hospital who hasn’t asked for my autograph?”

“I didn’t think that would be appropriate when you are not well.”

With that, he opened his briefcase and signed this picture for her.

It’s said that Ty Cobb was a miserable wretch and a controlling bully who was mean to everyone….

until Aunt B got the best of him.