Sabrina Naylor, BSN, RN

I am alive today because of my sister, Sabrina Naylor. When people think about nurses, they often think about the care they provide at the bedside. What many don’t see are the nurses who continue fighting for their patients and loved ones long after their shift ends. My sister is one of those nurses. Earlier this year, I went to the emergency room because I wasn’t feeling well. After testing, I was told I had diverticulitis and was going to be sent home with antibiotics. As a husband and father of six children, I was relieved to hear it wasn’t anything serious. I was preparing to go home and move on with my life. Before I left, I called my sister and asked her to log into my MyChart account to take a look at my results. I trusted her because she is an oncology nurse and because she has always been the person our family turns to when we need help. What happened next changed my life. As she reviewed my CT scan and lab work, something didn’t sit right with her. While everyone else was focused on the diverticulitis diagnosis, Sabrina saw findings that concerned her. She immediately began asking questions, making calls, and pushing for answers. She refused to let it go. Because of her knowledge, experience, and determination, further testing was done. What they found was devastating. I had Stage IV colorectal cancer that had already spread to my liver. I will never forget that moment. I remember thinking about my wife, Amanda. I remember thinking about my six children and wondering if I would be here to watch them grow up. I remember my mother crying. I remember my family feeling completely lost and terrified.
But while all of us were falling apart, Sabrina stepped in. She became my advocate, my nurse, my translator, and my biggest supporter. She sat through appointments, reviewed every scan, explained every lab result, researched treatments, asked questions I never would have known to ask, and made sure I understood every decision being made about my care. She was there for every setback, every fear, every difficult conversation, and every victory. She wasn’t just there for me. She helped my wife Amanda navigate the overwhelming reality of having a husband with Stage IV cancer while caring for six children. She answered phone calls at all hours of the day and night. She helped my mother through the unimaginable fear of potentially losing her son. She supported my sister and our entire family when we felt helpless. The emotional burden she carried for all of us was enormous, yet she never complained. Over the months that followed, I underwent intensive chemotherapy. Because my cancer was recognized and treated quickly, my scans began showing incredible results. The metastatic lesions throughout my liver have continued to shrink significantly, and my medical team has described my response to treatment as remarkable.
Today, I continue treatment with hope for a future I wasn’t sure I would have. When I look at my children, I think about everything I could have missed. Birthdays; Graduations; Sporting events; family vacations, and simple moments around the dinner table. Because my sister spoke up when something didn’t seem right, I still have the opportunity to experience those moments. There is no doubt in my mind that Sabrina’s advocacy changed the course of my life. She demonstrated what nursing is truly about. She used her knowledge and experience to protect someone who couldn’t protect himself. She went far beyond the bedside and showed that nursing is not just a profession—it is a calling. My sister didn’t just care for a patient. She fought for her brother. She fought for my wife. She fought for my six children. She fought for my mother. She fought for my entire family. And because she did, I am still here. For her extraordinary compassion, unwavering dedication, clinical excellence, and relentless advocacy, I can think of no one more deserving of the DAISY Award than my sister, Sabrina Naylor. With endless gratitude, Father of Six. Cancer Fighter. Brother.