Kim was my Dad’s first nurse. He had a nearly 12 hour procedure that left my family and me in pieces. She was on night shift and was there when he was admitted to the CVICU after his surgery. Going into the procedure we thought my dad was having triple bypass then ended up on ECMO due to complications. I will never forget seeing her compassionate demeanor and watchful eye as we saw him for the first time. She let us stay as long as we wanted to that night, knowing we needed the peace of mind. Leaving him there was hard. However, Kim gave us her cell phone number so we could text her throughout the night for updates. I was blown away by her immediate compassion toward us, even though we had just met.

Kim was also on shift the evening I won Miss Arkansas. She knew if I won, we would be coming, and she came prepared. They watched the competition with him between caring for other patients and let him stay awake past normal hours. She was instrumental in making sure he was ready for my arrival. She got him in a chair, combed his hair, and told security I was coming. I can’t thank her enough for her generosity, support, and kindness. She told me from day one, “I will treat him like he is my dad, I promise.” It was comforting knowing we had her unwavering compassion and care for my dad. Thank you, Kim!