Jarad Hayes, BSN, RN

There are people who do their job well, and then there are people like Jarad — people who completely change a patient’s experience, restore hope during the darkest moments, and leave a permanent mark on someone’s life. Jarad is beyond deserving of the DAISY Award because the care he has given me has gone far beyond medicine. He has cared for me as a whole person, not just as a patient connected to an ECMO machine.

Being on ECMO is terrifying, exhausting, emotional, and isolating. There are days when it feels overwhelming to simply exist in a hospital room attached to machines fighting for your life. But Jarad somehow found a way to make me feel human again. He never treated me like “just another patient.” He made my care deeply personal, meaningful, and full of compassion in ways I will never forget.

One of the most incredible things about Jarad is how much laughter he has brought into this experience. Somehow, during one of the hardest and scariest times of my life, he has made me laugh constantly. He has made this experience enjoyable in ways I never thought possible, despite the circumstances. He brought light into a place that often feels heavy and overwhelming. On days filled with fear, pain, and uncertainty, Jarad found ways to make me smile, laugh, and feel normal again. That kind of emotional support is priceless, and it has carried me through more than he probably realizes.

Jarad took the time to truly know me — my personality, my fears, my sense of humor, and the things that kept me going mentally during this journey. He even created a personalized song for me just to lift my spirits and make me smile during some of the hardest days of my life. That alone speaks volumes about the kind of nurse and ECMO specialist he is. He understands that healing is not only physical — it is emotional too.    

He personalized my ECMO headband with a Nike logo and the words “Just Do It,” turning something medical and intimidating into something empowering and motivating for me. He even went out of his way to hang my pictures on the hospital walls to make my room feel more like home instead of just another hospital room. Every little thing he did reminded me that I was still me underneath all the tubes, machines, and fear.

Jarad constantly advocated for my comfort, happiness, and quality of life. He went out of his way to move me into a bigger, better room simply because he wanted me to feel more comfortable. That level of thoughtfulness is rare. But what impacted me most was when he made it possible for me to go outside into the sunshine while on ECMO — something incredibly difficult that required immense coordination, effort, and teamwork.

To most people, going outside may sound small. To me, it meant freedom, hope, life, and a reminder that the world still existed beyond hospital walls. I cannot fully explain what that moment meant to my mental health and spirit. Jarad gave that to me.

He has also done everything possible to help me maintain my dignity throughout this experience. When you are attached to countless tubes and machines and surrounded by medical staff constantly, it is easy to lose your sense of independence and humanity. But Jarad fought for me to keep those things. He has helped make it possible for me to walk the unit multiple times a day despite how complicated and difficult it is with ECMO and all the equipment involved. He has helped me continue doing normal human things, even something as simple as going to the bathroom with dignity and privacy preserved as much as possible. These may sound like small things to some people, but to a patient in my position, they mean absolutely everything.

What also stands out so deeply about Jarad is the way he treats my family. He has cared for them with the same compassion, kindness, patience, and respect that he has shown me. During a time when families are scared, exhausted, and emotionally overwhelmed, Jarad has been a source of comfort not only for me, but for everyone who loves me. He understands that when one person is critically ill, the whole family is affected, and he has shown up for all of us in ways we will never forget.

He has told me multiple times that I am the first ECMO patient he has had doing many of the things I’ve been able to do, and instead of discouraging me or limiting me, he fiercely supported me every step of the way. He believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself. He pushed for experiences that gave me dignity, motivation, and strength during one of the most vulnerable periods of my life.

What makes Jarad extraordinary is not just the medical care he provides — though he is exceptional at that too — it is the way he loves his patients through their suffering. He shows up with compassion, creativity, encouragement, patience, humor, and genuine heart every single day. He has made an unimaginably difficult experience feel lighter, warmer, and more survivable.

There are no words big enough to fully capture what Jarad has meant to me during this journey. He has been my advocate, my motivator, my source of comfort, and a light during some very dark moments. The impact he has had on my life will stay with me forever.

Jarad does not simply care for patients. He changes lives. That is exactly what the DAISY Award was created to honor.