I could run out of words in an effort, to sum up why Alex is a DAISY Nurse because that’s how amazing she was. My dad entered the hospital for a simple headache and ended up passing away while in the Neuro ICU but Alex went above and beyond with the care she provided in his last days. She has such a bubbly personality and would always address my dad when she walked in the room regardless of if he was awake or not. She cared for him by narrating each detail of her care and staying attentive to his wants and needs. After a few days of being with him, she could tell when something was off and worked tirelessly to advocate for tests to look into what was going on. Even though it took a little more convincing by a few doctors she never gave up and eventually got the extra tests to see what was going on with him. She ran in to suction his mouth when he coughed, redressed his wounds so he wasn’t dripping blood, put chapstick on his lips, and even shared cute moments about her personal life to cheer us up. She also never made us feel like a burden when we had further questions.

When things continued to go downhill with my dad’s prognosis a doctor brought up comfort care. I, being a nurse myself, was struggling with how to deal with this decision since it was my dad, not just another patient. I asked Alex what her thoughts were and she sat down and said “you know him best, do what you think he would want.” Those words made it clear to us what to do and I could tell she cared and had his best interest in mind as well. When we eventually decided to change him to comfort care she was caring for him before her day off work. Alex knew this would be her last day caring for my dad. When we returned and she was done with her shift we found a note in his room from her. She recounted all the things my dad said to her about us and how she knew he loved us so much. She showed respect, compassion, endless dedication, and a phenomenal bedside manner through the worst days of our life.

Alex is truly an Angel sent from heaven in nurse form. Being a nurse myself, I always think - if heaven forbid - I would be in a position where my family needed excellent care, I would want a nurse who would go above and beyond and do everything for my patients. I can confidently say Alex was ‘that nurse’. Our family will remember her forever.