So I had surgery at Swedish Ballard and was about to head home when I started bleeding really badly. But no one could get an IV. It was really scary. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, in walks Ian. He was so calm and reassuring. He told me what he was doing every step of the way and even asked for my preferred name and pronouns. Being trans, that meant the world to me.

He took over my care from the other nurses and brought me down to the emergency room. He stayed with me the whole time helping me change my pads and being so damn respectful. When the ambulance arrived to take me downtown, he even included me in the talk with the paramedics and explained everything that was happening. I'll never forget how he made me feel safe and seen. Honestly, I was blown away by his kindness. Up until that point, no one had bothered to ask me about my preferred name and pronouns. But he not only took the time to do that, but he also took over my care and stayed with me through it all. It meant everything to me.

Even though the whole experience was scary and painful, his compassion made a world of difference. I'm so grateful to him for being there when I needed him most. I hope it's not too late to send this - I think about it a lot and a friend who is a nurse told me about this award when I was talking about what happened.