A tragic complication of my mom's cancer brought us to Trauma ICU. During her stay, we were blessed with several nurses that went above and beyond the call of duty. One of these was Anna. My mom was an amazing woman. And she deserved so much better than the cards dealt to her. But during her stay in ICU, she was given the respect and treatment she deserved, and then some, from amazing nurses. Anna answered our questions, she listened to our fears and concerns. She was honest, respectful, knowledgeable, kind, loving and caring to not only my mom, but to our family. When she hugged me, I knew that she cared for us as much as she cared for my mom. Her support and love came to us at such an awful time, but she as amazing. I have no doubt in my mind that Anna was put on this earth to make a difference. She made a difference in my life that I can never repay.

On the day that my mom died, Anna took care of our family in a way I couldn't have expected. She was just as upset as we were. She knew that we were also close to another nurse, Jessie, and she called her personally to allow me to speak to her. It helped me process my grief knowing that Anna was treating me not only as a patient's family member, but as a friend.

Anna is an asset to Banner and the families served there. I can only hope that someday I can be half the nurse that Anna is today.