Desiree has far exceeded being compassionate, collaborative, and accountable for my father and our family. She has shown many facets of being an exceptional role model nurse towards my father, my family including myself, and his cancer care. My 91-year-old father has exhausted therapies to cure his very malignant skin cancer. In order to keep cancer at bay, my father opted to begin immunotherapy infusions.

There is some intense teaching that gets done prior to this infusion. It is standard for the patient and one other family member to receive this specific education. We asked if both my sister and myself could be present besides my dad. My father, who is hard of hearing, is also a very anxious individual. Desiree created a teaching plan that suited our family and kept within Covid restrictions. This individualized teaching plan included teaching outdoors at a picnic table! Sounds maybe simple, but she made it a priority to see to our needs.

My sister, father, and I were grateful that she made our education concerns a priority! Desiree participates in my dad’s office visits. She does this because she wants to! Often after the visits, she will perform teach-back with my day or re-asks if we have questions regarding the plan of care. She has coordinated care for me with multiple appointments when I wasn’t getting anywhere and I wasn’t getting telephone responses. I know, based on all of our experiences with Des, that when she says she will follow up with something, she will do it! Desiree treats my dad as a person and not a patient. She hugs my dad, shares personal stories with him, and listens to him. As a daughter, I am touched that she cares so much! My father absolutely loves her!