Dani was nominated by a family involved in a serious rollover accident last fall caused by icy roads and a box truck that abruptly pulled out in front of them. On her way to work, navigating those same treacherous roads with her children in the car, Dani received a call from her husband – who works locally as a paramedic/firefighter - informing her of an accident along her route. As she carefully continued driving, she came upon the crash scene and instinctively pulled over. What she found was a car on fire and the driver desperately trying to free the trapped passenger.

Recognizing the urgency, Dani quickly assessed the situation. After ensuring her children were safe with a familiar driver nearby, she contacted her husband, who relayed critical information to emergency services, allowing Dani to focus on helping the injured. Without hesitation, she crawled into the vehicle and calmly assessed the passenger's condition, finding severe lacerations and confirming they were trapped. Throughout, Dani used her calm, reassuring voice to provide comfort and maintained c-spine precautions, keeping the passenger still and stabilized.

Even as firefighters arrived and worked to extinguish the flames, Dani stayed with the passenger, continuing to provide reassurance. Her quick thinking, calm demeanor, and focus on patient safety helped ensure the passenger was safely extricated once the fire was under control. Later, the patient would say Dani was "my voice of reason" during the ordeal. Dani’s extraordinary ability to remain composed and provide critical care in such a dire situation is a testament to her skill as a nurse.

I recall Dani telling me that she and her husband made a conscious decision when deciding to move back to our small community, after living and working in larger systems, that they would be agents for positive change. This story is just one demonstration of the many ways that I have seen Dani be an agent of positive change. KVH is grateful to have her as part of the Emergency Services team.