Samantha Nelson, LPN

From the moment Sam walked into our room, I knew that she was special and so did my brother (the patient). My brother has Down Syndrome and is almost non-verbal. He hadn’t spoken to anyone since he got here. Before Sam left our room, he was talking to her. Over the next three days, she got him to eat, to help move himself to the toilet, and back to the bed and to communicate his needs. She did all of this with students following her! What an amazing role model for those young ladies! She advocated for him and offered his doctors sound advice from her perspective. To say that Sam is special is an understatement. Not only did she provide excellent care for my brother, but she also cared for me. I am my brother’s caregiver. I am with him 24/7. She recognized this and made sure that my needs were met too. Hospital stays for caregivers are often more difficult than that of the patient. We get very little sleep, and no proper nutrition, and we are sometimes expected to do more for the patient than staff does. We are too tired to help. Sam refused my help. She insisted that I rest as much as possible. I will forever be grateful for the care that Sam provided us. She will never be forgotten by my family!