My younger brother, who is 23, was involved in a snowmobile accident leading to a traumatic brain injury. The prognosis was unknown, and as you can imagine, a very scary and stressful time for my family. The road to recovery looked long and doubtful during the beginning of his admission. This is when we met Kristen.

She was so caring, knowledgeable, compassionate, and a true advocate for my brother, when he couldn't be for himself. She listened to our concerns and comforted us when we needed it most. Until you are in a situation like this, you can't imagine how much support you need just to get through each day. Kristen was a big part of our support team. Knowing that she was going to be my brother's nurse for the day took a lot of stress off of our minds because we knew he was going to get the care he needed. We requested Kristen every day that she worked and built a great relationship together.

As a nurse myself, I can truly understand how emotionally and physically draining caring for a patient in this situation can be. Being a nurse can be a very rewarding and very demanding career, one in which recognition is not always given. Kristen was always attentive and patient with us and always treated my brother with respect, even when in a sedated coma. I hope that one day I can impact a family, patient, and life changing event like Kristen has.

I am happy to say that my brother has made a full recovery. I know a large part of this has to do with the wonderful care he received at Bronson, especially from the nursing staff. Nominating Kristen for the DAISY Award is only a small fraction of the gratitude that we feel towards her.