There have been many difficult moments throughout my dad's three month stay in the ICU. However, some of the most beautiful moments have stemmed from the kindness & compassion of the staff. One of the biggest turning moments for my family was when we met Jonel. He has displayed such an extreme sense of compassion at a time when we really didn't know where the future would lead.

He demonstrated such a great level of patience and truly imparted that mindset to my dad. He continuously encouraged my dad to persevere, to not let fears get to his head, to celebrate the little wins, and to take things one day at a time. One of my favorite memories was watching Jonel walk into the room with a big smile and tell my dad, "B, we are going to take you outside today." He took my dad by the hand, walked patiently side by side to the balcony, and gave my dad one of the greatest gifts. I cannot emphasize enough how that simple action alone changed my dad's demeanor tenfold. I could finally see the light, and hope came back into my dark eyes after three difficult moments.

Jonel, thank you for all that you do. You are extremely compassionate and hardworking. You never ceased to have hope for my dad and continuously went above and beyond to meet his needs.

Note: This is Jonel's 2nd DAISY Award!