It’s an old story, but still heartwarming: Alabama nurses couldn’t do much medically for one of their patients, but they could help spiritually. Jeannie Guffey wanted to be baptized before she passed away, and the nurses in the Huntsville Hospital Medical Intensive Care Unit found a way to make that happen.
It took some innovation, but three nurses led the charge to ensure Ms. Guffey’s last wish before heading to hospice care was fulfilled. All of this took place over the summer, with Guffey’s baptism occurring on July 8. She passed away, having been diagnosed with lung cancer the previous year, on July 17 (via Huntsville Hospital Health System Blog):
Alabama ICU nurses buy an inflatable pool to fulfill a dying patient's final wish: to be baptized.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 31, 2026
Three Huntsville Hospital ICU nurses say they were going to stop at nothing to fulfill Jeannie Guffey's wish of being baptized.
"It was just a really sweet, emotional moment. The… pic.twitter.com/lXy4XykWpR
Enter Medical ICU nurses Erin Powers, Kaitlin Swaim and Emily Owens.
“This was a last wish that was very important to the patient and her family, so we had to find a way,” said Emily.
After a little online research, the nurses used their own money to buy a kiddie pool from Walgreens and had it delivered to the hospital by DoorDash on July 8. They inflated it using an electric air pump supplied by Guffey’s family, then crafted a makeshift hose out of ventilator tubing to fill the pool with warm water from the sink.
“Sometimes, you’ve just got to get innovative,” Emily said.
Once everything was ready, the Medical ICU staff used the ceiling lift in the room to help Guffey, 74, into the water. Her adult son Jody performed the baptism ceremony as her husband Ronnie and other loved ones gathered close around the pool.
“It was just a really sweet, emotional moment,” said daughter-in-law Carol Guffey. “The nurses went above and beyond to make this happen at the 11th hour when we were running out of options.”
“Seeing her baptized, it was like the weight of the world was lifted off our shoulders.”
Talk about going above and beyond for your patients. Well done, Huntsville Medical.
RIP, Ms. Guffey.
