I am a stage IV lung cancer patient who just completed my second year of treatment. I have had many excellent nurses over that time, but the care I receive from Jamere really stands out. First, his nursing skills are top-notch. Over the course of my treatments, I have gone from a "you have great veins" patient to a "difficult stick" patient. Jamere always seems to find the right vein on the first try, which is both a physical and an emotional relief. Not only is he highly skilled, but he is also extremely efficient. Understandably, the Galter Infusion Center runs behind schedule, and I usually wait an hour or more just for a chair. Once I'm in that chair, Jamere is right there with an update on my labs, saline, and pre-meds. He always asks if I need anything - a drink, a snack, and a blanket. And Jamere arrives as soon as my chemo does, ready to start the infusion.

What really sets Jamere apart is who he is as a person. My last visit with Jamere came during a very difficult week. We had to cancel my birthday party because I was hospitalized for three days. My kids came in for the weekend to celebrate, only to see me taken away in an ambulance. Then, I had to cancel St. Patrick's Day plans, a treasured tradition in my Irish family. Jamere came into my treatment full of positive energy, talking with me like a regular person, not a cancer patient. While we chatted, he gave me a break from being just a "sick" person. We talked about politics, parties, and even his first St. Patrick's Day in Chicago. We also talked about the best event planners who might be able to revive my failed birthday party. I walked out of treatment smiling.

Jamere's warmth and kindness make my time in the hospital more pleasant - a conversation with him is something that I can even look forward to on otherwise unpleasant treatment days. And his skilled efficiency gets out of the hospital faster, which means more time to visit with my grandson on my way home. Those extra minutes might not seem like a big deal, but when you have treatment every three weeks (or more) for the rest of your life, any time is a sacred gift.