Three years ago, we were taking a long-needed vacation to Arizona to recuperate after dealing with my wife's father’s death, settling his estate, and the sale of his home. Unbeknownst to us at the time, I was suffering from MMSA sepsis and cirrhosis of the liver. My MELD score was 29. I was admitted to a local hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona. My organs were failing. I was in a coma. I was dying. I spent the next few months slowly climbing out of danger. Many doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to get me healthy enough to give me a chance to eventually go to the Mayo Clinic and get listed for a liver transplant. I was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. Four months and five days later I was accepted onto the UNOS liver transplant list. Fifty-four weeks later I received my new birthdate along with a slightly used bright pink extra-extra-large life-saving liver.

Daniel joined us just after my transplant. Over that time Daniel “handled it”. He handled all of my medication changes, appointments, and blood lab explanations. He kept us well-informed and therefore calm and happy. I would experience a weird jump in labs, and through the doctors, Daniel would bring down our anxiety and then my counts. He is very instrumental in our lives. During a holiday weekend, I experienced a major medical event. I went into a catatonic state while in my hometown. My wife called 911, and two hospitals later I arrived at a hospital suffering from a negative reaction to my anti-rejection medication Tacrolimus. I remained catatonic for about six days until I began to recover to the point of awareness. As my brain began to function, I was regaining awareness in a new hospital with new doctors and nurses. Although this was an is an elite institution, it wasn’t what or where I was used to. I was afraid. Daniel remained a reassuring voice to my wife. He allowed her to be calm and, if she is calm, so was I. Nothing was dramatic. Our anxiety never got out of hand. Every call, every text, every question, he was immediately there to explain what was happening.

There were many folks on my case, but it was Daniel’s voice that came through the fog. I am pretty sure that most of these submissions rotate around Herculean efforts by a nurse, but no matter how I look at Daniel’s calming demeanor, it seemed effortless. However, after being in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices for the past few years, I know there is nothing effortless about it. I learned about the DAISY Award while sitting in the waiting room at Mayo for a follow-up appointment. I read over the pamphlet for DAISY and came to the quick conclusion that Daniel is the perfect person to receive such an honor. Please consider Daniel as an outstanding example of a loving, caring, and professional nurse. Although his title is post-liver transplant coordinator, he is so much more to our family. He consistently keeps us informed and peaceful as we traverse our medical path without fear. He is truly a blessing to our family and certainly many others.

Note: This is Daniel's 2nd DAISY Award!