Danya Akram, BSN, RN

Our family has a lot of experience with hospitals and nursing. Unfortunately, more often than should happen, the care of the patient as a whole person (not just their chart number) is lacking, even in peds, where I feel there should be more emphasis. We have grown accustomed to rigid, tired, and inpatient nurses. From my view, the majority of the time the health care is good, but the care for the individual needs a lot of improvement.

Enter Danya.

Danya quietly introduced herself to C at the beginning of the shift while I was still sleeping. When I woke up, the first thing C said to me was, “You’re going to like her mom.” As frequent fliers of the hospital, I can’t tell you just how many phrases I like to hear more than this one! The biggest difference in how the day will go is how the day nurse handles his or herself first thing in the morning.

We found Danya to be an excellent nurse in every regard. She interacted with both C and me. C is very guarded in the hospital, so the fact that she interacted with him, and he with her, is a very big deal. She and C got along so well! She understood his humor. They were joking and talking whenever she came in. They became fast friends, which is so critical in the hospital.

Being in the hospital as a teen is especially hard. Danya didn't shy away from a challenge with C being a teen with medical trauma. She treated him like there was absolutely nothing abnormal about the situation. C's biggest challenge is that he says people treat him like he's different. Not Danya!

Something to know about C is his love of big words. When Danya discovered this, she took time each day to print off a long or interesting word, dated, with “C’s word of the day” at the top of the page. They took turns trying to use the word or words from previous days in conversation, which was a hoot. This simple gesture allowed for her and C to bond and build trust, and gave C something to look forward to during his lengthy hospital stays.

I really don’t think people understand, unless you have lived this life, just how isolated and hopeless being in the hospital feels. The days blend together, and the daily life quickly revolves around meds, labs, vitals, rounds, and infusions. The environment is very taxing, and the demeanor of the nurse that will see you most frequently has a big impact. Seeing this extra care taken put both C and me much more at ease with life in the hospital.

Here are some quotes from C about Danya: “Nurses like Danya make everything easier.” 

In the hospital, nurses and doctors are sometimes a patient’s only visitors, and when every interaction is a hard task, the hospital quickly becomes a place of negative association. Danya tried to check on C occasionally outside of the required checks. This helped C not associate her only with vitals, meds, or infusion. We found ourselves eagerly checking our whiteboard on her work days to see if she was C’s nurse that day. On days C had Danya, we looked forward to seeing her come through the door, instead of being glad when the nurse left the room.

C’s level of heart failure made it very difficult for him to absorb nutrients from food. He was losing a lot of weight. At rounds, we discussed adding healthy fats to help his calories. We brainstormed ideas with Danya, and she asked us if we had ever tried to make butter. We said no, but had read about it.

The next day she appeared with heavy cream, which we poured into a specimen cup. We all thought it was pretty funny. We shook and shook it, and sure enough it became butter! Danya saw C as a whole person, not as a chart number. This gesture allowed for some distraction and humor in the hospital.

Danya has a unique and invaluable way of connecting and sharing in C’s journey. These characteristics set Danya apart from other nurses and elevate the care that C received at Seattle Children’s. I have thought a lot about how others could learn from her, but I don’t think the traits she has can really be taught. I really think it’s just who she is.

The hospital needs more nurses like her, and she definitely deserves all the recognition in the world. If there was any nurse deserving of honors, it is Danya! I'm convinced that nurses like Danya practice a completely different kind of medicine in addition to the standard one. I believe the humanity and compassion she shows may shorten hospital stays and aid the speed of recovery. I have seen in real time the impact of nursing at this higher standard.

C had his transplant in 2024. He has had Danya as his nurse several times during the last three years since they first met. He was frequently hospitalized prior to listing and then waited four months inpatient, and his bond with Danya grew.

He was admitted following transplant for a few months for antibody-mediated rejection, which required heavy and frequent infusion and pheresis. Since that time, he has been admitted a few more times for AMR. When he is admitted, he always requests Danya as his nurse. As he said in 2023, she makes everything easier.

He is currently still battling antibody-mediated rejection and recently was admitted for steroid and mab infusion. He caught up with Danya again, and we were reminded of just how special she truly is, a treasure to patients and families of SCH!

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This is Danya's 3rd DAISY Award!