I would like to nominate Sarah Miller and Sadie Oswitch from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Akron Children's Hospital as deserving recipients of the DAISY Award. These nurses personify excellence in nursing, compassionate care, exemplary service, and a commitment to family-centered care, as demonstrated by the following patient story.

The NICU sees emotionally challenging cases often but none seemed to be more of an emotional toll than a patient born last spring.  This patient had complete neurological devastation and the family struggled with the reality of the situation with their first and only child.  When other providers felt the case to be too sad and couldn't take care of the patient for more than one shift, Sarah and Sadie saw a child who was deserving of love and care as if they were members of their own families.  Sarah began to primary this patient soon after she returned from maternity leave after having her second child and Sadie soon followed.

When Sarah had downtime between patients, she would sit in this patient's room listening to her favorite country music while she would chart so they weren't alone.  On cold winter nights, Sadie would sit with the patients, brush their hair, and tell them what snow was like.  They had spa days, got to wear clothes like their peers, and had the most elaborately decorated room on the unit, thanks to nurses like Sarah and Sadie.

Working as a nurse at Akron Children's takes a certain kind of person who has a kind heart, a caring soul, and a passion for advocating for their patients, and I cannot think of any other nurses who fit this profile more than Sarah Miller and Sadie Oswitch.  Sarah and Sadie were a voice for the voiceless, giving compassion to a helpless child and grace to a struggling family.  This patient was loved beyond measure, even if they weren't able to know it.  Sarah and Sadie will forever be a part of that family's story, and I am honored to work alongside them.