A couple of years ago, a colleague of ours, A, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She received chemotherapy, surgery and reconstruction over the course of the next year. To everyone's excitement, she was pronounced cancer free and returned to work! In addition to acting as charge nurse and always being involved in trying to make our unit close by planning events, A found a new calling. She became a support and resource to our patients coming in for surgery and procedures related to breast cancer. This past July, however, what seemed to be a bad cough turned out to be a recurrence of the cancer with metastasis. Everyone on our unit was heartbroken for A.

One nurse on our unit, Eric Pitts, decided to spearhead a benefit for A to help with her mounting medical costs. He rallied the troops of our unit getting many people to volunteer to help in the effort. He secured Southport Hall and members of his band, "Band Camp", the "Bucktown Allstars", and the Saints drum line to perform at the benefit. The event brought everyone on our unit together working hard to pull off this major event in just three weeks. It was a sellout, standing room only, and raised over $25,000 to help A. A and her family were blown away by the wonderful support from everyone working for her on the event. People throughout the surgery department still talk about how amazing "A Fest" was.

For his overwhelming compassion for our friend, patient and colleague A, organizing such an event, I would like to nominate Eric Pitts, RN for the DAISY Award. I, like so many others on our unit, was so happy to be part of "A Fest," and he made that possible!