My mom has been in and out of hospitals her whole adult life. She has significant chronic illnesses and stubborn tendencies that led her to distrust her care. Her health has been in decline for nine months, and this last visit was finally too much. She had a stroke, found out she had cancer, and it was advised that hospice was appropriate.

During all of this, Sam has been fantastic. Their initial meeting was friendly, and both used humor to connect. This put my mom at ease, and in the hardest visit of her life, she felt supported and taken care of. Sam provided thoughtful care, communicated with the family the whole time, and really showed his care for her as an individual.

With my mom's history of bad experiences at hospitals, Sam couldn't have made her last one better. This has helped the whole family cope and grieve with the transition to hospice.

Thank you, Sam, for being my mom's advocate and putting a human touch to someone who desperately needed it.

Note: This is Sam's 2nd DAISY Award!