There are soo many helpful and amazing nurses and PCTs at Shirley Ryan. Honestly, it’s hard to choose just one. But when you think of the title Extraordinary, it’s a no-brainer for me. Today, after a long day of PT/OT, I woke up to that person who went out of his way to switch shifts on my last night to make sure we could say goodbye and to make sure I had everything I needed and was confident in going home. It really put a smile on my face, and honestly, being that I’m switching my bowels for the first time this morning makes me feel so much more comfortable. This nurse not only goes above and beyond the call of duty and performs his work with a huge sense of pride, but he also does it with an attitude that I have been preaching since day one of my accident PMAallday.(Positive Mental Attitude ). It’s literally the phrase I’ve been preaching since my accident that has helped me through this difficult change in my life, and without Russ being there for me and helping me keep that attitude, I don’t know how I would have made it through some of the rougher days/nights. His upbeat attitude and friendliness made those tough days bearable. That’s why there is no one else I could imagine nominating for this award. I’ve been in management for 25 years prior to my accident, and he’s the type of employee every manager wishes to be on his team. He will be a great leader one day in whatever he decides to do with his career. Thank you so much for what you do, Russ, and the professionalism you do it with.

After reaching out to the nominator to inform him that Russell had been selected, he had some additional words to share for the ceremony: 

"I am so glad to hear that Russell was chosen for this award. I definitely would like to add that Russell made my experience at Shirley Ryan an extremely comfortable experience. He truly deserves this award. His kind care and easy to talk to personality made my experience that much better to deal with. I was never afraid or embarrassed to ask him for help, and he was also so knowledgeable if I had any questions. He always took the time to answer plain things for me or help me during this difficult life change.  I think my first question every morning, if I didn’t know already, is if Russell was going to be there at night.  He is a stand-up person and definitely a huge asset to Shirley Ryan.  He will do great things in this profession and the career path this takes him.  It’s hard to find people as dedicated and caring as him.  I wish him the best of luck going forward, and I can truly say he changed my life for the better when I thought everything was lost.  It’s been a rough road adjusting, and Russell made me feel much more confident and positive during this transition.  I know it’s a lot to say, but he deserves all of what I’ve said and so much more.  I really wish I could attend the ceremony, but again, I just want to express my gratitude to Russell and wish him all the best of luck."