Allison is always genuinely happy to see me, and she treats us all in this true, unforced, best-friend kind of way. She clearly loves her work and her patients. She’s incredibly knowledgeable—always on top of the timing of every treatment and test (complex research protocols included)—and works seamlessly with her colleagues. In fact, when Allison is there, everyone seems to have an even brighter one-happy-family feeling; this atmosphere is just invaluable. When things are tough for me emotionally, Allison always has an innate sense of heartfelt support and attends to the ups and downs of cancer treatment (and life) with incredible sensitivity. Navigating difficult chemo sessions, cold cap issues, painful injections, treatment side effects, anxieties, and life changes, Allison goes above and beyond to make patients and families feel more comfortable and comforted during the many hours of treatment. Of course, all the nurses at Dana Farber are wonderful, but I think they would agree that Allison Hester is truly exceptional—a caring, talented, standout professional and friend.

A few specific examples of moments that mattered:

1) When my father was dying of cancer in hospice while I was in the clinic having treatment, Allison set me up in a private room, was 100% there for my husband and me, and coordinated staff around my emotional needs (including enabling literally my final call to my father) and still provided treatment and necessary research tests smoothly and on time.

2) When I first attempted to wet, condition, and stuff my hair into the chemo cold cap with my husband’s help, Allison was right there with all the tips and adjustments to ensure the best results (it worked!) and also quickly addressed the headache pain by administering NSAIDs and my anxiety meds in a protocol we could follow every time, setting me up for success.

3) When I experienced limping leg pain after regular injections into my thigh, Allison pointed out that I could potentially do this triweekly shot as an infusion through my chemo port (sensible since I was just sitting in the clinic for hours anyway for research tests)—of course my nurse practitioner agreed and made the switch, greatly improving my quality of life.

Allison thinks about each patient as a person, and she remembers everything. She not only knows what’s going on with my health (and asks about my latest concerns and needs) but is also aware of the pressures and challenges of life with stage four cancer. How she can be so attentive, kind, and caring floors me.

***

Allison is the brightest, most caring, and fun-loving ball of energy. It's crazy to think we would actually look forward to spending time in a hospital setting, but Allison makes it feel far from a "medical environment," so much so we can't wait for the next visit to see her. The attentiveness and energy I see her bring to each one of her patients amazes me. She has a "2-steps-ahead" mentality that makes her practice look effortless, which in turn makes my mother's treatments so stress-free and timely. She has a way of making you feel like you are her only concern from the moment you walk in until you walk out. And I see her exhibit this to everyone she interacts with, from patients to visitors and her fellow nurses and staff.

Her drive and personality she carries through the building as I see her work quite honestly inspire me to the point that I have considered working in the medical-care field myself. You can tell she takes pride in her work and shows happiness in caring and interacting with each of her patients and visitors, regardless of how fast-paced and stressful the job could be. There's not a single thing more I could ask or expect from a nurse than what Allison provides. We enter and leave every appointment with a smile on our faces, thanks to all of the Staff and Volunteers at DFCI, but more often than not, Allison is the driving force behind most of those smiles. I wish everyone had the privilege to have a nurse like Allison. Thank you for everything you do!