My aunt recently passed, somewhat unexpectedly. She had been quite sick over the last few years, living with my Nana. My aunt was brought to the hospital after being found down by my Nana. Shortly after admittance, they determined she was brain dead. The very first thing Thomas did when he saw my Nana was give her a great big hug. He didn't know her. He just knew she was a woman who had just lost her daughter. He treated Nana and my aunt with respect, something they did not experience elsewhere.

The entire time Thomas cared for my aunt, without us asking, he explained exactly what he was doing and why, and he spoke to our aunt with compassion and love as if she could hear him. My Nana is not well versed in healthcare or medicine, so this was very important. It truly makes a difference in quality of care, especially in situations like this. When my Nana was alone in the room, he would sit with her on the couch and comfort her. He treated each and every one of us with compassion and love.

As an ICU nurse myself, I know how important it is to care for not only our patients, but their families as well. I have never encountered a nurse like Thomas. He gave his whole heart with his care. He was the angel my Nana needed and I swear my aunt hand-picked him herself to care for not only herself but my Nana as well. Thomas played a huge role in helping my Nana grieve and if not for him, she would be in much worse shape. He was exactly what we needed.

When it came time to cease life-extending measures, we found out my aunt was an organ donor so we had to wait until a recipient was found to say goodbye. Her transplant surgery was scheduled for about 9pm or so, hours after Thomas' shift was to end. As if the care he had provided wasn't enough, he stayed after his shift to care for our aunt and see her off to surgery with me and my family.

He is an angel on this earth and such an important member of your extraordinary team at Methodist. Thomas will always hold a special place in our hearts and family forever. THANK YOU from the very bottom of our hearts. You were exactly the person we all needed during this tough time. We pray you are always surrounded by love and light and that you realize how much you touched our lives. Any patient that you encounter is so lucky to receive your care and compassion. I hope despite what is going on in nursing right now, that you hang in there because the world needs more nurses like you. You have influenced not only my family but my nursing practice as well. I hope the families I encounter think I am half the nurse you were for us. All our love.

Note: This is Thomas' 2nd DAISY Award!