Heather was the first face we saw when walking in to see Dad on that first day. His surgery was the most extensive cancer resection procedure that they offer: a reconstruction of the tongue. Heather was all things that epitomize a good nurse, but even more! Her genuine kindness came through in every action and every word. She started teaching my mother how to provide care for Dad on the very morning we met her. Let me emphasize the kindness she displayed to make sure mom was going to feel comfortable with the tasks my dad would need. Her knowledge and instinct are among the rarer traits of nurses that any hospital is lucky to find in a nurse.

As a critical care nurse myself, being on the other side of the situation was unnerving. But not when Heather was our nurse. I say “our” because that is what she was. She took care of all of us: my father, my mother, and me. I could breathe knowing my dad was being treated how I would treat him as one of my patients. We have been at the bedside for seven days straight and felt we could easily leave when Heather was his nurse. I didn’t have to throw back my coffee and rush to his side; I could actually take a breather, and that is a big deal coming from another nurse.

Heather, she is something special. So much so that she picked up on Dad turning a corner before anything was physically happening. It was that gut feeling that nurses can’t ignore. Dad did take a turn for the worse, being combative and confused in the middle of the night, which was brought on by a new infection. There was one name on my father’s lips amid the chaos, it was “Heather”. “Call Heather” was something he would repeat over and over. He knew she was “safe”; the one to fix things, a light in the darkness to him. He was transferred to the ICU early in the morning when Heather was still off shift.

When she clocked in that morning, she immediately knew something had happened to Dad. She used her very short morning break to come and check on him in the ICU. But she also checked on all of us! She told us stories about how Dad would joke and laugh with her while we were out. This man has a brand-new tongue made from his forearm, and Heather had him laughing and talking! She worried about him with us and told us she was sorry that things turned out the way they did. I would give her more than a DAISY Award if I could. She is a true light in the healthcare world. She brings so much kindness, intelligence, and calmness wherever she goes, and is certainly a rare gem! Thank you, Heather, from one nurse to another, for treating my dad like he was your own.