I met the wonderful Mrs. Dodge on the 6th day of my hospital stay. She was the lead nurse that day and was starting an IV on me. I noticed she had green eyes and a hint of an accent, so I asked her where she was from. She told me Germany. Interestingly enough my mom is also German. So, we hit it off. We talked about all kinds of things. This made a huge difference in my day because I was completely distracted from the fact that I was super sick and not feeling well. She had such a positive attitude. And I could immediately tell she was a leader. She made me feel so good that day. I’ll never forget her.

After she helped with my IV, she saw that I wasn’t feeling that awesome, so she said she’d be right back. She came back with towels and every possible toiletry I could need. She said, “I think maybe a nice warm shower would help make you feel better.” And you know what, it did! She knew what I needed before I even did. That’s a fantastic nurse. She went above and beyond with setting up the shower for me. She explained everything to me, showed me how it all worked, and educated me on my limits. Afterward, she changed my sheets and helped me put on my new gown. The whole time I was with her I felt like I had known her forever. And most importantly I felt safe and secure with her. I knew I would be well taken care of with her around.

The next day she was my actual nurse and was discharging me. I had not seen my daughter in over a week because of the hospital policy on minors and it was getting to me. My mom had just come with my daughter to take me home. She had to wait in the lobby downstairs while my mom was taking things to the car. Well, when Melanie realized what was happening, she gave me the best gift I could have gotten. She brought in a wheelchair and said we’re going for a ride! She kept it a surprise and took me to see my kid. When I came around that corner, my heart exploded. Because of Melanie’s thoughtfulness, kindness, and intuition, my traumatic 8-day hospital stay will forever have positive memories attached to it.

When it came time for discharge, I could barely hold back the tears. And it wasn’t just me. Melanie had a hard time holding back the tears too. She said she wished I didn’t have to go but she understood that I had to. And honestly, I felt the same exact way. Because of nurses like Melanie, I was able to get through the most traumatic experience of my life a little bit easier. And actually, for a split second, wanted to stay longer. That should tell you something. She is a DAISY Nurse. She’s the reason the award was invented.