For more than 15 years, Brande Shanahan, a health unit coordinator at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana, has played a crucial role in supporting patients through their admission and discharge. Yet last year, her perspective shifted when her father was admitted as a patient.
In 2020, Brande’s father, Gene, was diagnosed with leukemia. Although his initial prognosis was less than a year, he enjoyed a full life before becoming seriously ill in November 2024. Admitted to Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana just before Thanksgiving, he spent weeks in the oncology medical-surgical unit. Though he faced complications from being septic, Brande knew he was in good hands with Christopher S.F. Ho, M.D., the oncologist who had previously cared for her mother and grandmother.
Though Gene’s condition remained stable for a few weeks, the blood transfusions he received lost their effectiveness over time, and doctors recommended transitioning him to palliative care. When the available care homes under Gene’s insurance fell short of expectations, Brande felt overwhelmed and unsure what to do. Then, her colleagues stepped in.
“No questions asked, everyone jumped in to help me,” Brande says. “It wasn’t just taking care of him; they took care of us.”
Caregivers from the Providence Tarzana Foundation encouraged Brande to apply for grants and programs to help alleviate the financial burden from care homes outside of her father’s insurance. Once she secured approval for financial assistance, a new range of care homes became accessible. Ultimately, Brande toured a home recommended by a colleague and it instantly felt like home.
Her father spent the last few months of his life in a care home that provided excellent support, thanks to a grant that covered the cost of his supplies, board and care. What would have been beyond their financial reach was made possible through assistance from the foundation.
The unwavering support Brande received from her colleagues continued even after her father’s passing as her nursing supervisor guided her through the difficult process of funeral arrangements.
"Even though it was a difficult situation, they created the best possible experience," Brande says. "Having a bit of good amidst all the bad truly made all the difference."
Brande's two families — her personal family and her colleagues — will soon intertwine even further as her daughter intends to volunteer in the medical center’s emergency department. She hopes this experience will be an important step toward her aspiration of becoming a trauma nurse.
Brande's journey in navigating her father’s illness and care has reinforced her understanding of the significant impact and solace that comes from a community united in care. To learn more about the Providence Tarzana Foundation, visit https://tarzanafoundation.org/.
