A brain cancer patient who longed to visit his church was too sick to go. So church members brought the worship service to the hospital courtyard.

Story by: Ryne Dunkelberger on October 19, 2023

In November 2022, Jonathan Parrish’s life took an unexpected turn when he began experiencing concerning health symptoms. Jonathan, a neurodiagnostic technologist at Norton Brownsboro Hospital, found himself grappling with nausea and vertigo. Because of his background in medical care, he wasted no time in seeking help.

Medical imaging and blood tests soon uncovered the grim reality: Jonathan had a tumor on his brain stem. The diagnosis was rare — he was experiencing primary central nervous system lymphoma, an uncommon form of brain cancer.

“He always said that his job attacked him,” said Allie Parrish, Jonathan’s wife and a neurodiagnostic technologist at Norton Children’s Hospital. “He went from being in surgery with his colleagues to being a patient being taken care of by his friends.”

Jonathan faced many health challenges following his cancer diagnosis, including a bout of pneumonia and cytomegalovirus that required hospitalization in July.

Throughout the years, the Parrishes had been deeply involved in their Southern Indiana church community, along with their two young children. Unfortunately, Jonathan’s health crisis kept him from attending Sunday services.

“He made it clear to me and to others how much he missed church, just the act of worshipping as a collective group,” Allie said. “I think maybe Jonathan knew he wasn’t going to get better, and he just really wanted to worship with the church.”

Bringing the ‘church’ to the hospital

Jonathan’s health was deteriorating, and time was running out to fulfill this heartfelt wish to worship with his church family.

This poignant request caught the attention of Kristin Pickerell, chief nursing officer at  Norton Brownsboro Hospital.

“When we heard that Jonathan really missed his church family, and his wife knew it was one of his final wishes, we needed to make it happen,” Kristin said.

Staff at the hospital grappled with the intricate challenge of fulfilling the Parrish family’s wish, while concerns about Jonathan’s delicate respiratory health and compromised immune system further complicated matters.

Originally, the team discussed turning a conference room into a choir room, having a virtual performance and allowing members to visit Jonathan two at a time. When technical challenges arose, the team assessed whether the hospital’s small chapel would accommodate 20 choir members and a livestreamed service.

Ultimately, recognizing her husband’s fragile condition, Allie proposed an alternative approach: an outdoor service at the hospital, with Jonathan viewing from a window.

Her plan was approved, and immediately the space was cleared, cleaned and prepped. The hospital’s food and nutrition department supplied water for attendees, and security measures were put in place to streamline visitor flow.

“This was something that every team member at Brownsboro worked really hard to pull off,” Kristin said.

A final wish fulfilled
Around 6:15 p.m. that Sunday evening in late July, Jonathan was accompanied by Allie and an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse and moved to a pedway with windows overlooking the service in the hospital’s third-floor courtyard.

“The night exemplified what we do and why we do it,” said Autumn Chapman, ICU nurse manager. “This request was fulfilled because of the efforts and dedication of multiple departments and staff members.”

On what would be one of his final days, Jonathan was able to reconnect with his church community before he passed away.

“It was an incredible blessing,” Allie said. “We were able to sing and smile and cry, and Jonathan laughed for the last time. I can only remember it as being a joy.”

During the two-hour outdoor service, church members sang, offered prayers and shared stories of how Jonathan had profoundly impacted their lives. All the while, Jonathan and his nurses took it all in from their vantage point behind the glass.

“We always talk about being a Norton family, and through all of this, and despite the sadness, we were treated like family,” Allie said. “I know [Jonathan] was so grateful to Ryan Stettenbenz [manager, neurodiagnostics, Norton Brownsboro Hospital] and the entire team. That hospital and that floor was where he worked, and he considered it another home. To have this happen at his ‘home,’ we are beyond blessed.”