Michelle Riley-Fearon, RN

During my recent hospital stay, I experienced one of the hardest moments of my life- physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was overwhelmed, scared, exhausted, and surrounded by constant noise, tests, and people coming in and out of my room. I felt lost and I didn’t understand what was going on with my own body and I felt like I was disappearing inside the stress and fear.

Then Michelle Riley-Fearon came bopping into my room. She didn’t just walk into my room as a nurse; she walked in as a human being who could see that I was struggling. I felt like she noticed the fear that I was trying to hide in the burden that I was carrying, and instead of rushing through her task, she looked at me with genuine concern and said, "OK, I’m not just your nurse. I’m here. Let’s talk."

Those words meant more than she will ever know. She didn’t spend hours with me. She didn’t have to. It was genuine sincerity and compassion in her voice and in her eyes, in the way she made me feel like I was a person, not just a number in a bed every time she came into my room.

Michelle reminded me that it’s going to be OK, and when she said it, I believed her. She gave me comfort at a time when I had nothing left. Even though the unit was busy and the staff was running up and down the halls, she made me feel like I was her only patient. Michelle gave me a sense of safety and peace in a place where peace is hard to find. She lifted my spirit when it was sinking, and she helped me hold on when I felt like I was falling apart.

She went far beyond the call of duty. She didn’t just care for my medical needs; she cared for my heart. She made a difference in my life that I will never forget. She is exactly what the DAISY Award is meant to honor.