Any child who has ever been admitted to NYPH Pediatrics Unit and has had Diana Pizzuto as their nurse knows how lucky they are. As a resident, I know how lucky I was that she happened to be caring for a very sick oncology patient of mine on a particular day recently. This patient is very well known to NYPH and was admitted after a second relapse of leukemia. He was in the midst of undergoing a very intense round of chemotherapy when Diana went to check on him after he had gotten out of the shower. She immediately noticed that this patient’s speech was different than it had been and that he seemed to be having trouble talking. Diana immediately came to find both my senior resident and me and asked us to come evaluate the patient. Within minutes we were able to call the Neurologists to come assess the patient and they determined that this 12 year old boy was having a stroke. Diana kept him calm and helped, almost instantaneously, transfer him to a wheelchair and whisk him off to the CT scanner.
Without her keen, accurate assessment of the situation this patient would not have been able to have the timely, life saving intervention that he ultimately received. Were it not for Diana he likely would have been faced with a lifetime of devastating neurological deficits or even worse, with death. She truly exemplifies compassion and made a difference in this patient’s life that is more significant than she may ever realize. NO ONE deserves The DAISY Award more than Diana does.