Azra was INCREDIBLE. I had to be admitted after what was supposed to be a quick outpatient procedure, and I’ve never seen anyone model patient advocacy as much as Azra did. Every time I rang the nurses' station (which was often), she seemed to anticipate what I needed before I had to tell her. My pronouns weren’t in my chart so I kept being misgendered, so Azra wrote them in my chart and did everything she could to ensure I was gendered correctly whenever she was around.

The surgical residents kept trying to talk me out of staying the night at the hospital even though my pain was still so poorly managed that I didn’t feel safe going home. Azra advocated for me, made sure I was able to stay, and always made me feel like someone was on my side. I have a history of reacting poorly to standard medications that are prescribed in my circumstances, and she was always so affirming of my past experiences and dedicated to finding an alternative solution without trying to force me to take something that I know doesn’t work for my body. She told me when she would be going on a break, when she would be back to check in, and when her shift ended, she made a point to introduce me to the nurse taking over for her to make sure I always felt like I had access to support.

This hospital stay was so unexpected and I had to stay the night alone in a lot of pain, and Azra made me feel like I had a friend. The world needs more Azras, and I can’t think of anything that anyone could do to deserve this award more than her.