Leading up to, and still to this day, Dawn has gone above and beyond to make sure I have been taken care of. Before my kidney transplant in 2022, I was having a hard time getting into my local dialysis unit to have my recently placed PD Catheter looked at, cleaned, and training done. Dawn took it upon herself to get in contact with the dialysis unit, find out what paperwork and bloodwork needed to be done, and obtain all the information they needed. I lost count of how many times she would call and email me to keep me updated on what was going on and what I needed to do. I know from experience many nurses would not go to the lengths she did to make sure I was taken care of. It meant a lot to me knowing she was looking out for me.

After my transplant, I could email Dawn with any questions or concerns I had. She was always quick to respond and very kind. Another example of her going above and beyond was in dealing with my infusion center. After having a few infusions, I was having problems getting my next one scheduled. I had called and left messages with no luck. I emailed Dawn and asked her what I should do. She immediately started trying to contact the infusion center through phone calls and emails. She was in contact with me almost daily letting me know if she had heard anything or asking if I heard from the infusion center. Eventually, she was able to get through and have my infusion scheduled. This may seem little, but it is HUGE for a patient to know they have someone on their side who is fighting for them. This is my second kidney transplant. My first one was in 2006 and I can tell you I have not experienced this level of care from medical staff in a while.

During this whole process, I have been able to ask Dawn anything and she was willing to help. She has communicated information from my doctors and answered any questions I have. I know there have been times when she is out of the office and she has still taken the time to answer my emails. One time, my insurance company was needing more info on an anti-rejection medicine that had been prescribed. It was taking a lot of time and the insurance company had still not received the info. Dawn was headed on vacation and emailed me asking if I had gotten the "okay" from my insurance and I told her they were still waiting. She was sitting in an airport waiting to board her plane and called the transplant clinic to make sure the paperwork was sent over ASAP. I thought to myself, "How many nurses would actually take the time, headed on vacation, to do that?" The paperwork was sent before she boarded her plane and I was able to get the medicine I needed.

In my experience, most nurses are off duty when they clock out. It's not that they don't care, it's just that they are not at work. That is why Dawn sticks out. She goes above and beyond when she really doesn't have to.

There are a ton of these stories that I can tell about Dawn. Little things that may not seem like much, but I promise you, to me and other patients, they are huge. I know the medical staff has been strained over the past few years and I understand the stress many of them face. My mom was a nurse who passed away during the pandemic. Dawn has been a shining example of care and compassion throughout my time having her as a nurse. There were times I was really sick before my transplant and Dawn was there to answer the questions I had. She would always talk to my kidney doctor about issues that might come up between visits and tell me what I needed to do. Dawn deserves this award for so many reasons. Banner is very fortunate to have a nurse like her! I know I am thankful she is in my life!