What I want to point out here is just how big Tonya's heart is. She feels and cares for every patient she has and meets. At the start of her shift, she received devastating news about the personal loss of a friend. Throughout that day and the next, multiple patients were given a diagnosis with a poor prognosis. Not only was she there to comfort and care for her patients, but she was also there to comfort her friend and find a way to be at the funeral all while still performing to the standards of care we hold our staff to.

On the day of the service, she came in to give one of her patients recently burdened by their diagnosis a shirt of her favorite football team because her hospitalization prevented her from attending a game. The effort and emotion Tonya puts into her care embodies what it means to earn a DAISY Award. I am proud to work beside her, and her patients are never anything but grateful.