Cassie Kaspar
February 2026
Cassie
Kaspar
,
RN
Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida - Lee Health
Fort Myers
,
FL
United States
Her steady hands, reassuring words, and calming presence were the guidance that we needed through those extremely tough days.
It was a day that started like any other day. Our kids headed off to school while my wife and I went to work.
Upon our return home, we learned that our son had been attacked by two bullies after school and was not feeling well, having quite a few bumps and bruises from the event. Later he began complaining of a headache and vomited, prompting a call to 911 and a subsequent visit to Golisano.
Just after midnight, we received the news that no parent ever wanted to hear. “The CT scan came back, and there is a mass. Your son has a brain tumor and needs to be admitted.”
To be quite honest, those words are still hard to write and say, even today. Over the next 48 hours, he would have several scans and tests before ultimately having a nearly 9-hour brain surgery procedure. He left the OR and headed to the ICU, where our first of many wonderful experiences occurred.
Still fresh from a gruelingly long surgery, he was starting to wake up but was confused with his surroundings and while also beginning to realize that his right side wasn’t working as well as his left. My wife and I, still with the raw emotion of the news and the length of the surgery, were admittedly tired, frustrated, scared, and concerned.
But in those initial moments, Cassie was there.
The first to take him during his stay in the ICU, she stepped into the room with a calming presence and a sense of steadiness. Even though he was still just a few minutes post-op, and both of his parents’ nurses, she approached the care for our son in the most delicate manner.
She frequently advocated for him to the rest of his team and ensured that different treatments were tried as they worked to get his pain and nausea under control. She was deliberate in her movements, confident with her actions, and unwavering with her empathy.
It was her calmness, professionalism, and unshakable spirit that allowed both of us to get the rest that we didn’t know we needed. In those first moments within the ICU, we were reassured that he was in the right place.
In a time of angst, uncertainty, and an unknown path, I believe this nurse approached the uniqueness of this situation like any other day with any other patient. Never flustered by our presence, her commitment to delivering compassionate care to patients was clearly and expertly evident in everything she did for my son and for us.
Her steady hands, reassuring words, and calming presence were the guidance that we needed through those extremely tough days. Cassie is the epitome of a nurse who has a patient-centered approach to care and is a prime example of what it means to live the promise here at Lee Health.
On behalf of my son and the rest of our family, thank you for the exceptional care that you provided for us and, most importantly, for our son.
Upon our return home, we learned that our son had been attacked by two bullies after school and was not feeling well, having quite a few bumps and bruises from the event. Later he began complaining of a headache and vomited, prompting a call to 911 and a subsequent visit to Golisano.
Just after midnight, we received the news that no parent ever wanted to hear. “The CT scan came back, and there is a mass. Your son has a brain tumor and needs to be admitted.”
To be quite honest, those words are still hard to write and say, even today. Over the next 48 hours, he would have several scans and tests before ultimately having a nearly 9-hour brain surgery procedure. He left the OR and headed to the ICU, where our first of many wonderful experiences occurred.
Still fresh from a gruelingly long surgery, he was starting to wake up but was confused with his surroundings and while also beginning to realize that his right side wasn’t working as well as his left. My wife and I, still with the raw emotion of the news and the length of the surgery, were admittedly tired, frustrated, scared, and concerned.
But in those initial moments, Cassie was there.
The first to take him during his stay in the ICU, she stepped into the room with a calming presence and a sense of steadiness. Even though he was still just a few minutes post-op, and both of his parents’ nurses, she approached the care for our son in the most delicate manner.
She frequently advocated for him to the rest of his team and ensured that different treatments were tried as they worked to get his pain and nausea under control. She was deliberate in her movements, confident with her actions, and unwavering with her empathy.
It was her calmness, professionalism, and unshakable spirit that allowed both of us to get the rest that we didn’t know we needed. In those first moments within the ICU, we were reassured that he was in the right place.
In a time of angst, uncertainty, and an unknown path, I believe this nurse approached the uniqueness of this situation like any other day with any other patient. Never flustered by our presence, her commitment to delivering compassionate care to patients was clearly and expertly evident in everything she did for my son and for us.
Her steady hands, reassuring words, and calming presence were the guidance that we needed through those extremely tough days. Cassie is the epitome of a nurse who has a patient-centered approach to care and is a prime example of what it means to live the promise here at Lee Health.
On behalf of my son and the rest of our family, thank you for the exceptional care that you provided for us and, most importantly, for our son.