One year ago today, I finished Chemotherapy. While I still had to go through a large surgery to eventually be told the cancer was no longer detected, this day marks a special moment for me as today was the first step I completed on my journey of beating cancer. No one expects to be a cancer survivor at 25, and I most certainly could not have beaten cancer on my own. While I have many people to thank and so many I owe my life to, there is a special place in my heart for Claire and I owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude I could never express in words. 

The whole beginning of my diagnosis is a blur, being rushed across the hospital over New Year's weekend to go from one scan to the next, one test to the next. When I finally got a diagnosis, there were only more tests and appointments. 8 days after the doctors first discovered the mass, my mother and I made our way into Perlmutter Cancer Center for my first chemo appointment. I was truly terrified. That day, Claire greeted me with a smile. She made me feel at ease, allowing me to feel more comfortable and just a little less scared. This trend continued through my 9 weeks of chemo. Claire was there almost every day, helping me smile while administering excellent care. I do not know how she made me laugh while undergoing the hardest time of my life, but I truly cannot thank her enough for doing so. As treatment went on and my veins started to roll, she had a special skill for making the process as painless as possible. Even on days when she was not assigned to be my nurse, she made sure to stop by my room several times just to wave hi and make sure I was okay. She just has a knack of lighting up the room and making the process just that much easier. Spending 8 hours a day, five days a week, receiving treatment is not easy. But Claire helped me have a smile through it. 

One year later the pain of going through chemo has started to fade and I do not recall the treatments with the same sharpness as I once did. However, I still remember Claire and her actions with the same vivid color as though it happened this morning. Her kindness and compassion, the smiles and laughs, we shared are memories I will cherish the rest of my life.  

If there is anyone that deserves to be recognized for their efforts, it is Claire. I truly want to thank her from the bottom of my heart. I could not have gone through what I went through those 9 weeks without her, all the amazing nurses and staff at Perlmutter. I am alive in large part because of what she did, the care she showed me, the kindness and compassion she has for her patients, and the laughter we shared. Hopefully, one day I shall return to a hospital for good events. If the nurses have a fraction of the skill, compassion, and kindness as Claire, I know I will be in good hands.

Thank you, Claire.

Written with more gratitude than I knew I was capable of feeling,
(Patient's name)