The Brighter Side

A North Carolina nursing home held a ceremony last week to honor the son of one of its employees, who was aboard a Navy warship in June when it collided with a cargo ship off the coast of Japan.

Brendan Darnell, a cryptologic technician – technical in the Navy was sleeping aboard the USS Fitzgerald when it collided with a freighter ship on June 17, killing seven of his fellow sailors. Darnell woke up after feeling the ship rock, and was told by other crew members to get up and report to his assigned station, he recalled to the Daily Advance.

While home on leave on Aug. 8, Darnell attended a ceremony in his honor at Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation – Elizabeth City, along with his mother Amanda, who works there as a nurse manager.

Staff at the facility “basically adopted” Darnell and were concerned after learning he was on board the ship, Shameika Martin, the facility’s activities director, told the newspaper.

“To have a co-worker devastated by the situation that happened to her son, it causes the heart to mourn,” Martin said.

Darnell was given a plaque commemorating his “honor, courage and commitment” during the ceremony, which was organized in part by resident Carl Walker, who received a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam. Walker, along with other veteran residents of Kindred, wanted to celebrate Darnell “because we have gone through different aspects of the military,” he told the newspaper.

“We want to thank Brendan and his crew and let you know that we all have feelings for your lost shipmates,” Walker said while presenting Darnell with the plaque. “We hope and pray that no more lives will be lost on your ship.”

Do you know of a lighter long-term care news item that is suitable for The Brighter Side? Email Staff Writer Emily Mongan at [email protected].