Kenny Tomek
January 2025
Kenny
Tomek
,
RN, BSN
Medical Oncology
Sanford USD Medical Center
Sioux Falls
,
SD
United States
There was never an encounter with Kenny that did not uplift our moods.
Kenny exceeded all expectations of what a nurse should and can be. He cared for my grandma shortly after her diagnosis, at a particularly challenging time over the Thanksgiving holiday. He doted on my sweet grandmother, made her smile and laugh at a time when those things were few and far between, and kept her company and entertained her on the long days at the hospital when we could not be there all hours.
He provided competent and kind care and took care of all of my grandma’s medical needs with superior quality. He made her feel special and loved and maintained her dignity and quality of life when it was hard for her to be in the hospital setting, especially because her diagnosis became dire quickly.
In addition to providing excellent medical care for my grandma and tending to her needs and physical pain, he also prioritized her mental and emotional well-being, which is at times just as important, if not more. He made her feel human, brought joy to her (and us) each day he was her nurse, and he brought laughter and light to our otherwise dreary reality with his goofy nature and two different shoes.
When grandma moved over to hospice, he went above and beyond the call of duty by visiting her twice more before her death. The smile on her face (and ours) when Kenny entered the room was simply priceless.
He stopped in to have conversations, offer a hug and a smile, and talk to my grandma about her old nursing days as a CRNA, which she loved to reminisce on. He may argue that my grandma touched his life, but he equally touched ours.
He epitomized what it meant to care holistically for someone and how a caretaker can completely transform an otherwise gut-wrenching and devastating experience of watching a loved one hurt. He could have gone about his job and provided good care to my grandma, as many of her other nurses did. He instead changed our entire experience and impressed us all beyond belief with how he leads his work with his heart, and it does not go unnoticed.
My family will never be able to express the fullness of our gratitude, but more importantly, we will never ever be able to forget him.
***
Kenny is a vibrant, enthusiastic person. He works hard to satisfy his patients’ concerns and problems. He is a role model and may God bless him to continue in his role. We appreciate the great care, Thank You.
***
Kenny is an outstanding, very responsive, friendly, and caring nurse. I was blown away by his care. Although I was happy to be able to go home, I was truly sad to leave his care.
***
His personality is charismatic, cheerful, and enthusiastic. There was never an encounter with Kenny that did not uplift our moods. During times of uncertainty, being scared, and away from home, the infectious positivity from Kenny made such a difference. We are so thankful that Kenny has provided this “extra medicine.” He always said, “Thank you for letting me take care of you guys,” at the end of his shift.
Note: This is Kenny's 2nd DAISY Award!
He provided competent and kind care and took care of all of my grandma’s medical needs with superior quality. He made her feel special and loved and maintained her dignity and quality of life when it was hard for her to be in the hospital setting, especially because her diagnosis became dire quickly.
In addition to providing excellent medical care for my grandma and tending to her needs and physical pain, he also prioritized her mental and emotional well-being, which is at times just as important, if not more. He made her feel human, brought joy to her (and us) each day he was her nurse, and he brought laughter and light to our otherwise dreary reality with his goofy nature and two different shoes.
When grandma moved over to hospice, he went above and beyond the call of duty by visiting her twice more before her death. The smile on her face (and ours) when Kenny entered the room was simply priceless.
He stopped in to have conversations, offer a hug and a smile, and talk to my grandma about her old nursing days as a CRNA, which she loved to reminisce on. He may argue that my grandma touched his life, but he equally touched ours.
He epitomized what it meant to care holistically for someone and how a caretaker can completely transform an otherwise gut-wrenching and devastating experience of watching a loved one hurt. He could have gone about his job and provided good care to my grandma, as many of her other nurses did. He instead changed our entire experience and impressed us all beyond belief with how he leads his work with his heart, and it does not go unnoticed.
My family will never be able to express the fullness of our gratitude, but more importantly, we will never ever be able to forget him.
***
Kenny is a vibrant, enthusiastic person. He works hard to satisfy his patients’ concerns and problems. He is a role model and may God bless him to continue in his role. We appreciate the great care, Thank You.
***
Kenny is an outstanding, very responsive, friendly, and caring nurse. I was blown away by his care. Although I was happy to be able to go home, I was truly sad to leave his care.
***
His personality is charismatic, cheerful, and enthusiastic. There was never an encounter with Kenny that did not uplift our moods. During times of uncertainty, being scared, and away from home, the infectious positivity from Kenny made such a difference. We are so thankful that Kenny has provided this “extra medicine.” He always said, “Thank you for letting me take care of you guys,” at the end of his shift.
Note: This is Kenny's 2nd DAISY Award!