I was admitted to Medical City Dallas for a tumor resection and reconstruction of half my tongue, as well as lymph node removal, where I had tumors as well. My metastatic tongue cancer diagnosis rocked me and my entire family's world. I'm 25 years old and otherwise seemingly healthy, with no lifestyle indicators or genetic history to put me at higher risk for this specific cancer.

We also severely underestimated how intense surgery and recovery would be. I was discharged directly from the ICU. Waking up from surgery, I was tracheostomized and on a vent to give me an open airway while my tongue swelling lessened, and this took away my main form of communication with everyone around me. We had anticipated this and brought a journal so that I could write down anything I needed to say or ask, which, for most of the nurses on my case, meant showing them all the same page when they would ask the same questions about my case and needed reminders about important details regarding my care and limitations.

Not Heaven.

Not only was Heaven the most patient when waiting for me to complete writing down all my thoughts, questions, and needs, but she also anticipated any and all follow-up questions, then still made the time to let me ask even more if I had any. She took it upon herself to call both surgeons on my team to learn more about my case, my surgery, and exactly what was required of my post-op care.

She also asked what would make things easier for me and my recovery. When I tried to show her my "FAQs and Important to Know" page, she glanced over it, then looked at me and said "Your surgeons also mentioned [x,y,z] to help your recovery, have we been doing that?" She was also on top of making sure any other nurse on my case knew as much as she did to take care of me when she wasn't there.

I'm sure to anyone else, she would have seemed overbearing about how far I could turn my head one way or the furthest back I could lie in the first few days of recovery, but to me, it meant an added layer of protection over me and my healing.

She celebrated the hardest when I got my trach removed and was able to speak again. She cried with me more than once when I came to the realization that my life was forever changed. She kept me from more than one anxiety attack about being on a vent and helped me stay calm, and gave me all the information to help rationalize my emotions.

She sat with me and played a niche word game we both happened to love, the night the pain medication made me especially anxious and unable to sleep. She all but threw a party when I passed my swallow tests and was able to have my NG tube removed, and could start enjoying a liquid diet. Not only was she upbeat and encouraging, but she was also gentle and soft.

On another night, when being trapped in the ICU was really getting to me, she found a shampoo shower cap and told me, "I've never done this before, but I know having clean hair always makes me feel a little better, so we're gonna figure this out together, okay?" She washed, brushed, and styled my hair for the night, and even helped wash my face, telling me simple and joyful stories to continue to try and cheer me up, without the expectation that I would be "fixed" or perfectly happy when she left the room.

She always reminded me that it was more than okay to grieve the life that I didn't get to have anymore, and that, in terms of healing, there was no such thing as a setback. Some days we plateau, and some days we might need to take a step back to rest, but there is no such thing as failure.

In the few nights that Heaven was on my case (and let's take a moment to acknowledge she was at a disadvantage since I slept most of her shift most nights), she made the most difference in my care, my mental health, and my overall well-being and recovery than anyone else in that hospital. It is more than obvious that not only does she love nursing, but she loves her patients individually and completely as well.

Without Heaven, I can honestly say I probably would've needed some sort of sedation to survive the mental load of recovery and might not have made it out as quickly as I did. I genuinely cannot fathom a nurse who deserves this DAISY Award more. I don't know how Heaven, or any nurse, could've done more for me during my time at Medical City Dallas. I will never forget her, and I will never be able to thank her enough for everything she did for my family and me.

Heaven truly did change my life and deserves to be showered with praise and gratitude!