Julie Gigandet, RN

My daughter was in a bad car accident, and we spent a lot of time in the SICU department while that team cared for her. There's one nurse in particular I'll never be able to forget, though. Jules. She's gonna say, "I'm just doing my job," but for me, it was that and so much more. She handles her job with such grace and enthusiasm each day, day in and day out. She took command of a situation I thought I'd never be able to form a smile around and still was able to bring a smile to my face every time she walked into the room.

I felt my daughter was safer when Jules was there. I can't explain it. On the hardest days, I'd vent to her about my thoughts and feelings, and I could tell she truly listened to me being a little crazy, and she understood me. She was my therapist and saved me from going over the edge on more than one occasion. The connection I felt to this woman was insane. She understood me. She knew how to talk to me, and calm me in the hardest moments of my entire life. The craziest part to me is that she does this daily and goes back for more. I'll never understand how she does it, but my respect and admiration for her is through the roof. It is rare in today's world that you come across somebody who just sticks in your head and truly makes a difference in your life for the better. Well, Jules is definitely one of those people. She taught me patience when I had none. She taught me forgiveness when I didn't think it was deserved. Most of all, she taught me to love when I had none to give. And she is extraordinary at her job. If there was ever a prime example of someone who made a meaningful difference in my life, in my daughter's life, she's it. Every single time.