I cannot express how profoundly this nurse deserves the DAISY Award. To understand the magnitude of the job she did, you must know a bit of my back story. I have a rare autoimmune disease. I have a long history of extraordinary complications and near-death hospital stays. I have a special needs son who has needed medical care for 25 years and I nursed my dying mother in many medical settings for the last two years of her life. I have spent an extraordinary amount of time with doctors, nurses, and in hospitals. After all of that, I wound up with extreme medical PTSD. I have sought treatment for years and have made progress. But being hospitalized is a trigger that cannot be controlled. I arrived at Loudoun Hospital and there was chaos, panic, and fear around my treatment. I was admitted and was truly blessed on my first night to have Karen assigned to my care. I was triggered, having flashbacks, tearful and alone. During the night I could sense her truly listening not just to my history, but to how that history may have affected me. Her manner was kind, empathetic, and insightful. I felt seen. I felt understood. I became a person to a caregiver not just a patient, or a job. She could tell I needed to feel safe. Like I had an ally and an advocate. Her work is exceptional. But the way she does the work is magical. She saved me that night from my mental health challenges around being in the hospital. This nurse is a one-in-a-million person and nurse, and I absolutely would not have made it through this ordeal without the sanctuary and oasis that she provided. I was on the verge of a very real nervous breakdown, and her quiet strength brought me through it. Thank you, Karen Miller!