I would like to nominate Heather for the DAISY Award. Her care during my grandfather’s last days was truly amazing. When he was first admitted to comfort care and my family was deciding the best place for him to be, I was admittedly very frustrated and disappointed that we had not chosen to go with Heather’s House hospice. I felt he would be more comfortable outside the hospital, in a more home-like setting, especially at night when he was at his most restless. I sobbed in my car, leaving the hospital the day that decision was made, because I worried about his comfort, having to stay in a hospital room and in a hospital setting during his last days. But then I came back the next night, and Heather walked in, introduced herself as his nurse, and asked me to wait.

During that night, every fear and frustration I had about him having to stay in the hospital disappeared. Heather was so kind and gentle. She spoke to him and treated him and our family as if it were her own family. His comfort was her top priority, and I will be forever grateful for that. She made sure her care was completely focused on whatever made him most comfortable and made sure he got whatever meds he needed to be as comfortable as possible-and that was a lot of them. The night he passed, she had come in with yet another hourly dose of morphine for him, and while she gave it, she asked me about my grandma, who had passed 6 years earlier. We continued to talk about how wonderful she had been and how my grandparents had been married for over 65 years. Prior to this conversation, my grandpa hadn’t shown much change or opened his eyes at all in the last few hours. But as we talked about my grandma, he opened his eyes and looked over at me. Heather noticed this and quietly slipped out of the room. He passed quietly a few minutes later.

I am forever grateful that Heather was his nurse during those nights. It was so hard seeing him struggle- and he was a stubborn, retired farmer, so he fought with every ounce of his being. But Heather’s presence made everything so much less painful. I’m not usually a hug person, but the hug she offered me after he passed was so needed and appreciated. I will never forget her response when I thanked her for her care before I left. She said, “We’re all supposed to walk each other home, right?” I thought my grandpa would be the most comfortable at Heather’s House, but it turns out he really just needed a wonderful nurse named Heather to help him walk home.