Sometimes when we’re not in the best of places in life there are special people who swoop in to help.
The love in their heart is so great that they’ll go out of their way to help put us in a better place and change our lives.
Some call these people Earth angels, but Nathaniel Hudson called his Earth angel his “supervisor.” She called herself his daughter.
Her actual name is Brooke O’Brian of Arkansas, she works in the marketing department at North River Village Assisted Living.
Her local hospital advised her that Hudson was an older man who wasn’t in the healthiest of living situations.
He needed help and O’Briant decided to help him.
“Little did I know, an unbelievably special friendship was being formed. Little did I know, the good Lord was crossing my path with this kind soul to not only impact his life but mine as well,” she tells Love What Matters.
When O’Briant went to pick Hudson up to bring him to visit the facility where she worked, she noticed his apartment was small and run down.
She knew from then on she would do everything in her power to get Hudson into a living situation where he could thrive.
“When I arrived, he was ready to go in his suit and hat. He looked so sharp that day. I remember telling him how nice he looked. He held onto my arm as we walked to my car. He toured our community that day and absolutely loved it. He didn’t want to leave. While he was there, he attended a Christmas concert and for the first time, I saw him dance. It warmed my heart and many others that day,” O’Briant said.
O’Briant knew that North River Assisted Living just had to be Hudson’s new home.
It took a few months.
But eventually, after Hudson ended a long stay in the hospital, he became an official resident of the facility.
And O’Briant wasn’t the only one rooting for Hudson to be comfortable in his new home.
The facility’s employees and sponsors all came together to donate bedding, decor, and other items to make him cozy.
But what was most important was that O’Briant could rest easy knowing her new friend was safe.
“I felt so good knowing he was in a safe, clean place with three meals a day, nurses making sure he took his medications and new friendships to lift his spirits. Over the following 12 months, Mr. Hudson and I became close buddies,” she said.
Actually, they were more like family.
Since Hudson didn’t have any family of his own, O’Briant became his unofficial daughter.
She took care of his mail, dry cleaning, doctor’s appointments, and other tasks a daughter would handle for their senior dad.
“I became his ‘supervisor.’ That’s what he told people I was. It always made me laugh. He went to church with my family and was around my kiddos many times. He proudly told everyone he saw at church that day that I was his daughter. It melted my heart,” O’Briant recalls.
O’Briant was able to see Hudson flourish in his new home.
He made lots of new friends and loved to exercise and play games.
But after a few months, Hudson’s health started to decline.
Eventually, he was diagnosed with cancer.
When the time came to make end of life decisions, he refused to make any without consulting O’Briant.
He told hospital staff, “I’m not making any decisions without Brooke.” He later gave a note to one of the nurses that read, “Brooke is my everything.”
When Mr. Hudson was discharged from the hospital he made the decision of making O’Briant his power of attorney. She was honored and humbled to have earned his trust.
“The nurses told me that prior to his passing, he sang ‘Amazing Grace’ so loudly that it echoed throughout the facility. He had been a little confused lately, but he knew every word to the song. He sang it over and over. I think he knew he was about to go home to Heaven,” O’Briant.
While O’Briant was sad over Hudson’s passing, she said she felt blessed to have been a part of his life. She is hoping to raise enough funds to ensure that he has a proper veteran’s funeral. So far she has surpassed her fundraising goal on GoFundMe.
“I appreciate each of you and your support and love for me and my precious buddy means more to me than you’ll ever know!” she wrote on Facebook.
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