What I can tell you is the level of compassion, patient care, attention to detail, and kindness shown by Sammy was beyond measure. My dad had made the decision after consulting with the palliative care TEAM to stop all treatment for liver cancer and cirrhosis. I met Sammy during the day shift when she was caring for my dad. Sammy multi-tasked and yet remained focused and calm and paid great attention to detail when it came to his requests. She remembered the light from the computer monitor bothered him, so she politely placed a pillowcase over the screen after logging off. Sammy closed the bathroom door, closed the blinds on the window and exterior door to appease my dad and allow him to rest (as much as he could under the conditions). Sammy did not bend the rules or bow down to my dad when he became upset over "ice chips" not being fed to him. I knew he needed to NPO due to the possibility of aspiration. Sammy stood firm in the decision to discontinue ice chips, which I found commendable, especially when the patient was not in agreement. Patient safety and care was definitely her main concern during this interaction. Sammy helped to raise my dad in the bed, reposition him, and tucked additional pillows, which were needed to make him comfortable. At this point, my dad weighed 44 kg which is approximately 97 lbs. He was bone-on-bone and very uncomfortable. Sammy was very accommodating and administered morphine per the doctor's orders as needed to ensure my dad was not in pain. I remember my dad saying to me prior to Sammy walking in the room that he wanted the sweet little Asian nurse in the red scrubs. For him to have hepatic encephalopathy, cirrhosis, liver cancer, dysphagia, esophageal varices, CKD stage IV...and remember Sammy meant that she had a positive impact on him in a very short period of time. He had made the decision to be transferred to hospice care and would be discharged home the following day.

Sammy is a young lady who was born to be a nurse! My dad, step-mom, and I are all military veterans and consider acts of service to be among the most commendable. Sammy is the epitome of calm under pressure, especially when juggling multiple patients with different levels of care. She never promised anything that she couldn't deliver on, and she displayed the most genuine compassion and grace while adhering to the highest standards. We often hear about the negative experiences with medical personnel especially due to staffing shortages. Sammy is a DAISY Nurse because she did NOT miss a beat during what would be my dad's final days of life. Her professionalism was evident when she had to deliver the "no ice chips" news to my dad; her dedication to the patient was unmatched as she followed up and did EXACTLY what she said she was going to do....building trust and credibility; she was clinically skillful while following patient safety measures to make sure my dad did not aspirate, was comfortable and his head was elevated to prevent any potential choking hazards; she was sensitive to our family's feelings and to my dad's needs when she put a pillowcase over the computer monitor, closed the blinds and dimmed the lights due to my dad's sensitivity to light and noise; she was comforting not only to my dad, but to myself and my step-mom during my dad's final days; she was 100% genuine and this was evident by how positive the energy was in the room and her willingness to go above and beyond to help; she had to be courageous to become a nurse in the first place but to take on my firecracker of a dad....whew- she was wearing the super COURAGE badge; and finally the level of compassion was unparalleled and brought tears to my eyes because I knew Sammy could feel our hearts breaking as we watched him deteriorate. She made us feel safe, welcome, and most importantly, HEARD.

My dad passed away at home surrounded by my brother, sister, step-mom, his beloved Airedale Terrier, and myself just days later. I will never, ever forget crossing paths with Sammy. She touched me in a way that few have ever done in my 51 years. Sammy is a valuable asset, a rare commodity and in my opinion a future leader at Indiana University Health. Thank you for taking care of my dad during his final days of life.