One month after a visiting nurse was murdered while working in Willimantic, dozens came together to honor her life at a special vigil.
The Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home hosted the vigil at the State Capitol building. Tracy Wodatch, president and CEO of the association, said the goal of the vigil was to bring closure and honor Grayson's life of service.
"We needed to really honor that life and we also needed to support and honor the entire homecare community who are going into peoples' homes day in and day out," Wodatch said. "We don't know what to expect on the other side of the door and we need to make sure that we protect and that we support those staff so they can continue to provide that vital service."
Grayson worked in healthcare for more than 30 years and spent the last 15 years as a visiting nurse. She was a mother and grandmother from Brooklyn, Connecticut. In addition to serving people through her work in healthcare, Grayson and her husband were foster parents to 35 children.
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The commissioner of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) was among the many to attend Grayson's vigil. She presented a proclamation honoring Grayson for her service.
“She was a very beautiful person. Loving, caring, kind," said Merlyn Dunbar-Babrow, who used to work with Grayson. "She was always willing to help out.”
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Another former coworker said Grayson was selfless with the "kindest heart."
The Connecticut Nurses Honor Guard attended the vigil to pay tribute to Grayson.
While the vigil was focused on honoring Grayson and all home healthcare workers, advocates said the focus moving forward is on legislation. They want to see increased protections for home healthcare workers.
"It needs to be. We need to continue to support our staff and help them heal and make sure they are still able to get out into the community safely," Wodatch said.
