My husband was admitted for a new cancer diagnosis. Everyone we encountered was super nice but one nurse stood out. Her name was Sam. She was our main nurse most of the days we were there. She came in the first day with such compassion and understanding. My husband was in his 20's with a new cancer diagnosis, was scared, and we had no idea what to expect. She sat us down and explained everything. She gave us past patient stories to help us understand what the next few months would look like, she joked with us to lighten the mood, told us about her life, and was just completely amazing.

The biggest thing for me about recognizing Sam is she broke through my husband's pain scale. He wouldn’t take anything when he arrived and she sat him down and told him it was okay to admit he was in pain. That cancer pain was unlike any other pain and nobody could explain that pain but him. He trusted her enough to finally admit how bad he was hurting, even though we had just met her the day prior. Through that week she came in every day, even when she wasn’t our main nurse just to check in and see how we were. To talk and to joke and to give us the talk about future babies, how to go about it, and how excited she was for his ‘good’ diagnosis.

After our week in the hospital, we were admitted two more times - one for his first dose of chemo and another for blood clots. She was there both times and it made us feel so much more comfortable that someone we knew and trusted was going to be there to help us through those visits just as she did the first. For a nurse to go above and beyond with a patient and family as she did is astounding. She recognized my husband and I each time we were admitted, no matter how many days/weeks in between our visits were. We have never gotten that feeling any time we have been to a doctor, clinic, or hospital. She is one of a kind and deserves to be recognized for it!

This is Samantha's 2nd DAISY Award!