Lucia started what she has named Spa Day on MSICCU. It consists of staff volunteering their time and supplies to provide a pampering day for the patients on the unit. This includes pedicures, manicures, beard trimmings, hair washing with a head massage, hand/feet massages, pleasant conversation, and a card game here and there. Lucia wanted to start this to bring some normalcy to the patients that might have been here for a while or that need just a little extra love and care.

During November Spa Day, I had the opportunity and privilege of helping Lucia in providing some much-needed comfort during their hospital stay. The gentleman we spent time with was a patient whom staff members told us would benefit from our presence more than any of the other services. We went in, and Lucia automatically made a connection with him and offered a hand/foot massage. The patient gave us permission to do whatever we needed and didn't care at first that we were there. As we were in the patient's room for more time, Lucia started to slowly help him open up by asking him questions about where he was from, what he did for a living, if he was retired, if he had any children, and what kind of music he liked to listen to. We ended up putting on his favorite band, The Isley Brothers, and he and Lucia bonded over their songs. As we rubbed his hands and feet, his body started to really relax, and I watched this man go from being indifferent to us being there to shining with happiness and gratitude for what we were providing. Before we left his room, he thanked us for what we had done for him with such a beautiful smile.

The second patient we visited was a woman who, at first glance, looked perfectly healthy. She was reading a book that Lucia recognized, and as soon as we started giving her a hand/foot massage, Lucia began asking the patient questions about the plot, how good the book was, if she had read the rest of the series, and more. We shared laughs and talked about her family's vacation to Florida/Disney. We were having a fun time when her doctors came in to talk to her about her plan of care, and the atmosphere shifted quickly. They informed the patient that she needed a procedure to help her blood flow to her heart, and they were going to try to get her in the same day for it. The patient grabbed Lucia's hand immediately after hearing this and held on tightly until the team left the room, Lucia giving comforting pats/rubs while we listened. Once it was just us three again, Lucia told the patient it was going to be okay and that it was better they find this problem and resolve it now than have a heart attack later. The patient shed some tears but perked back up slowly. Once we left her room, I thought that might be the last time I heard about that person, but the next day, I got an update from Lucia. The patient had gone to have the procedure, and it had turned into something more serious, and she had been moved to CVICU. Lucia told me she had plans to go check on the patient in the other unit that night when she got to work.

Lucia has really shown her true self in the past year. The kindness, love, and passion she has for others, for bringing happiness to those who really need it, and the compassion she shows everyone, no matter their situation. Everything she does, she does with 100% of her servant heart. She never asks for recognition or seeks out a reward for all the good deeds she does for people; she helps because she truly feels called to do so. I feel like this is the best way to give Lucia the spotlight because she honestly lives by what the DAISY Award stands for: goes above and beyond, exemplifies UMC's mission/values, collaborates with others for patients' needs, is a role model, and shows empathy/a caring attitude.