Sydney Wagner
August 2024
Sydney
Wagner
,
BSN, RN
2 Ross
The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Ross Heart Hospital
Columbus
,
OH
United States
We were all exhausted, overwhelmed with information, and worried beyond words. Sydney offered so much support to our family from the second we met her.
I am nominating Sydney (Gerrich) Wagner for the DAISY Award for being the most amazing nurse when caring for my brother on 2 Ross. Recently, my family received one of the worst phone calls. My brother had collapsed and was taken away by ambulance. He and his business partner were in town for an event with their food truck when I received the call that morning. He was taken to a hospital in the area, where they learned he had a massive heart attack. In the Cath lab, four cardiac stents were placed. The next day, the doctors came to the conclusion that it would be best to transfer him to OSU.
My brother ended up on 2 Ross in the care of his amazing nurse, Sydney. Sydney was the most caring, compassionate nurse with whom we all immediately connected. The days he spent on 2 Ross were indescribable. We were all exhausted, overwhelmed with information, and worried beyond words. Sydney offered so much support to our family from the second we met her. She took the time to explain everything we didn’t understand and answer the many repeated questions we had. She helped us to be cautiously optimistic when all we felt was defeat. Sydney even encouraged my parents to leave the hospital to get some rest for the night after not having slept for 3 days straight. As a new mom, she reassured me it was okay to leave the hospital to spend time with my 3-month-old. Each day we came back to visit, I found Sydney sitting right outside his room, keeping a close eye on him at all times and paging doctors with any concerns. I’ve never felt so comfortable actually leaving the hospital because I knew my brother was in the best of hands.
The night we learned he had taken a turn for the worse was devastating, to say the least. I remember arriving to the hospital around 5 am to say goodbye to my brother of 41 years of age and just hoping Sydney would be there that morning. Thankfully, she was. She cried with us and offered so much comfort to each one of my family members. I remember thinking she felt like family at that exact moment. It was as if she was meant to be my brother's nurse.
After talking with Lifeline of Ohio and learning he had the potential to save five lives, we honored my brother’s wishes to proceed with organ donation. The night of the walk of honor, Sydney was unable to make it in person but ended up FaceTiming another nurse so she could be there. This meant the world to us.
Sydney was a light in a time of darkness, to say the very least. She went above and beyond measures for each and every one of us. From paging numerous doctors to come to talk with us, never leaving my brother’s side during her shift, and most importantly, being the most supportive person when none of us could think straight, Sydney was nothing short of amazing. We were so lucky to have had our brother in the best of hands during his final days of life. There will never be enough words to express how much Sydney meant to us during this devastating time, but we can all agree there was no better fit for his nurse than Sydney. Thank you, Sydney, from the bottom of our hearts for everything you have done for my brother and family.
My brother ended up on 2 Ross in the care of his amazing nurse, Sydney. Sydney was the most caring, compassionate nurse with whom we all immediately connected. The days he spent on 2 Ross were indescribable. We were all exhausted, overwhelmed with information, and worried beyond words. Sydney offered so much support to our family from the second we met her. She took the time to explain everything we didn’t understand and answer the many repeated questions we had. She helped us to be cautiously optimistic when all we felt was defeat. Sydney even encouraged my parents to leave the hospital to get some rest for the night after not having slept for 3 days straight. As a new mom, she reassured me it was okay to leave the hospital to spend time with my 3-month-old. Each day we came back to visit, I found Sydney sitting right outside his room, keeping a close eye on him at all times and paging doctors with any concerns. I’ve never felt so comfortable actually leaving the hospital because I knew my brother was in the best of hands.
The night we learned he had taken a turn for the worse was devastating, to say the least. I remember arriving to the hospital around 5 am to say goodbye to my brother of 41 years of age and just hoping Sydney would be there that morning. Thankfully, she was. She cried with us and offered so much comfort to each one of my family members. I remember thinking she felt like family at that exact moment. It was as if she was meant to be my brother's nurse.
After talking with Lifeline of Ohio and learning he had the potential to save five lives, we honored my brother’s wishes to proceed with organ donation. The night of the walk of honor, Sydney was unable to make it in person but ended up FaceTiming another nurse so she could be there. This meant the world to us.
Sydney was a light in a time of darkness, to say the very least. She went above and beyond measures for each and every one of us. From paging numerous doctors to come to talk with us, never leaving my brother’s side during her shift, and most importantly, being the most supportive person when none of us could think straight, Sydney was nothing short of amazing. We were so lucky to have had our brother in the best of hands during his final days of life. There will never be enough words to express how much Sydney meant to us during this devastating time, but we can all agree there was no better fit for his nurse than Sydney. Thank you, Sydney, from the bottom of our hearts for everything you have done for my brother and family.