My mom passed away while in the CVICU recently. I wanted to extend the DAISY Award to her phenomenal nurse, Andrea. Too often nurses go without the praise they deserve. Especially considering they do the most interaction with patients and families. As many could imagine, grappling with losing my mother after I had only just graduated college is more difficult than I could express in words. But on that day, Andrea provided comfort to all family members that visited my mom to say goodbye. She is very knowledgeable and amazing at her job. Andrea cracked jokes with my sister and me, which really helped us lighten the mood.

I'm confident that Andrea is the only nurse that I would want to be caring for my mom and my family on such a difficult day. I hope that she and her colleagues know the value that she provides to UIHC. I'm sure nurses see so many families and patients, that it's natural to forget them over time. But I know I will never forget Andrea and the light she provided on such a dark day. There aren't enough expressions or words to convey my deep gratitude and thankfulness that Andrea was with us. Thank you.