My stay at Vanderbilt University Medical Center over this past week was very difficult for me, considering I've spent nearly the last 25 years as a patient at Vanderbilt; it gets old always being the sick patient. However, I did find a bright, beaming light, and her name was Libby Bien. She was my charge nurse during the early morning hours, and the actions she took that morning to ensure that I was comfortable and not in distress are some that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I fought stage 3 bladder cancer at the young age of five years, and with surviving that comes some medical complications that I will more than likely face for the rest of my life. I have encountered hundreds of nurses, but there has never been one to impact me like Libby has. She is a special, one-of-a-kind young woman who is absolutely compassionate and personable; she's an absolute joy to be around. I was battling a bowel obstruction and had an NG tube placed in so that I could receive GoLytely to hopefully help move my bowels along. I had the tube in for about six years, and at around 12:00 AM, I woke up panicking, barely able to breathe or swallow with the tube in. I began to panic and ended up dealing with a panic attack that was unlike anything I have ever faced in my life. The reason I was having this attack is because I have significant traumatic memories from when I was battling cancer as a child - I had an NG placed for nearly a year when I was going through chemotherapy.

My nurse texted my medical team to ask them if the tube could be removed since I was in so much distress. I was inconsolable when Libby came in to see me while I was waiting for the resident to come up and see me. Libby got down on her knees and sat at my bedside, holding my hand and comforting me through one of the scariest moments of my life. It brings tears to my eyes when I talk about what Libby did for me. I was begging and begging for the doctors to remove the tube. I was screaming and crying so hard that I could have been heard throughout the entire unit. I begged Libby to take out the tube because the doctors were taking too long. She put my care and comfort before everything else and took the tube for me.

When it was removed, I cried in her arms for a good ten minutes because the situation was so traumatic for me. Libby treated me as if I were her own family member or like one of her best friends. She cares about her patients, and I have never seen a nurse like her in all of my years. I can now see that Libby Bien is the nurse who has had the most impact on me, and I will never forget her or what she did for me that morning. Libby is doing every single thing I right as an RN, and Vanderbilt needs to hold on to her with a tight grip! She is absolutely remarkable and is the best candidate for the DAISY Award - she embodies everything that it stands for.