August 2026 Honoree
Kari Schaper, BSN, RN
Kari took care of me and made a difference in my life. She treated me with respect, she advocated for me, she listened to me. For so long I have felt kinda like a prisoner in my own brain and she made me feel seen and made me feel like a human being.
That day I had to ask her if she was in charge like the chief nurse of the floor. I told her she was bossy but in a good way because she knew how to communicate and when I started to get angry she was able to calm me down. She was stern in a motherly way but also so chill. She gave me control, which I think is often taken from me when I’m out of my mind like I was.
When another staff was hovering and treating me like a baby, she talked to me like an adult. Like I mattered. I complained about that staff member and told her it agitated me. She stayed in the room with me and got me situated. She found me sweatpants. When I couldn’t get a milkshake she got me ice cream. She got me a different baby sitter. She was straight up with me and told me how I acted and why I had to have a babysitter and why I had to be tied to the bed. She was honest. She gave me a chance to prove I could act right. She kept her word. She didn’t make me stay in bed like a prisoner, she worked with me and helped me get up. She didn’t make me stay tied up.
I told her I sometimes forget to take my meds and she gave me ideas on how to remember. I could tell she really cared for me and how I ended up. Everytime there was a new worker she came in and introduced them and told them how we can work together. These hospitals need more workers like her. Workers that really care about the patients and the patients minds.
That day I had to ask her if she was in charge like the chief nurse of the floor. I told her she was bossy but in a good way because she knew how to communicate and when I started to get angry she was able to calm me down. She was stern in a motherly way but also so chill. She gave me control, which I think is often taken from me when I’m out of my mind like I was.
When another staff was hovering and treating me like a baby, she talked to me like an adult. Like I mattered. I complained about that staff member and told her it agitated me. She stayed in the room with me and got me situated. She found me sweatpants. When I couldn’t get a milkshake she got me ice cream. She got me a different baby sitter. She was straight up with me and told me how I acted and why I had to have a babysitter and why I had to be tied to the bed. She was honest. She gave me a chance to prove I could act right. She kept her word. She didn’t make me stay in bed like a prisoner, she worked with me and helped me get up. She didn’t make me stay tied up.
I told her I sometimes forget to take my meds and she gave me ideas on how to remember. I could tell she really cared for me and how I ended up. Everytime there was a new worker she came in and introduced them and told them how we can work together. These hospitals need more workers like her. Workers that really care about the patients and the patients minds.
Thank you, Kari, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
View More Honorees