Longtime Silver Cross Hospital Nurse Found a Way to Honor Her Late Sister and Other Fallen Comrades in Nursi

Cindi Goron has been a nurse at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox for decades. Her sister, Sandy Roots, was too, most recently serving as House Supervisor until she passed away unexpectedly in 2022 after 50 years of service.

That’s when Goron joined Chicagoland Nurse Honor Guard, as a way to pay tribute not only to her sister, but all fallen nursing colleagues.

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“We nurses call ourselves sisters,” said Goron, who has served as a nurse in the Obstetrics Unit at Silver Cross for 42 years. “But of course, men are nurses, too. In fact, the Chicagoland chapter was founded in 2019 in memory of Frank Aguilar, a 32-year-old nurse who was shot on his way home from working at Misericordia.”

Goron is particularly excited about getting the word out about Chicagoland Nurse Honor Guard for the month of May as National Nurses Week is celebrated annually starting May 6 (which coincides with Florence Nightingale’s birthday) and ending on May 12.

Founded in Kansas in 2002, Nursing Honor Guard has grown to 300 local chapters across the United States.

Members of Nurse Honor Guards will attend – at the request of the family, individual or funeral director – either the memorial service, visitation or funeral with a service similar to law enforcement, military or first responder honors.

After the call goes out on their private Facebook page to participate in a service, nurses – active and retired – will sign up and travel within a 50-mile radius to honor their fallen comrade.

“How often and where really fluctuates,” Goron said. “In February, we had three. Then we went a while without one. The most recent was in Hazel Crest. The number who participate also varies, since a lot of member nurses are working.”

But when they do attend a funeral or memorial, the mourners are comforted by their presence. “There’s often an audible gasp (of gratitude),” she added.

Members of the Nursing Honor Guard will be dressed in white nurses’ uniforms, caps and a blue cape with red lining, as a way to honor the long history of nursing.

“During World War I, Red Cross nurses wore a dark blue cape with red interior lining that could be flipped over the shoulder,” Goron said. “This way, they could navigate the fields caring for the wounded without being mistaken for combatants by the enemy. We have male nurses who participate. They wear white shirts and white pants.”

The tribute takes about 15 minutes and features a reading of “The Nightingale Pledge” and a “Nurses Prayer,” where a white rose is placed with the nurse.

“Most touching is a ‘Final Call to Duty.’ The Nightingale Lamp is lit, and the nurse’s name is called out as a request to report to duty.

“This is the final call for those who have served selflessly and given their lives for the good of their fellow man; their tasks are complete, their duties are done, and they are going home.”

The lamp then is turned off and given to the family as a remembrance, Goron said.

“This beautiful service is free and available to all nurses, whether currently active or retired. It’s such a touching addition to a final service, and I wish more people were aware of it,” she added.

To find out more about Chicagoland Nurse Honor Guard, Goron said to contact the chapter president, Charlene Gallion, at (815) 272-3777, or at TCLNHG@gmail.com

For more information about nursing careers at Silver Cross, visit silvercross.org