When I was in the hospital, I was going through one of the darkest and most painful experiences of my life. At just 23 years old, I had a hysterectomy, something that was already incredibly heavy to process, and it became even more difficult when a complication led to a stent placement that my body reacted badly to. I ended up with a kidney infection, and the pain was unbearable.

For days, the doctors couldn’t find the source, and the pain just wouldn’t stop. I was in the hospital for a week, and I felt scared, like I was wasting away, and completely drained. Every night, Erica Pacheco, RN, was there. She wasn’t just my nurse. She was my anchor. I would genuinely light up when I saw she was on shift. It gave me something to hold onto, something familiar and grounding in a time when everything else felt out of control.

Erica had this rare ability to make me laugh when I didn’t even think I could smile. She always let me speak my mind, and when I’d get self-conscious and apologize for venting, she’d tell me, “Don’t apologize. Take up space. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

That stayed with me. In a time when I felt small, she reminded me I was allowed to exist fully. Her care went beyond the medical. It was human, honest, and deeply felt. Erica treated me with patience, humor, and compassion, and I truly don’t know how I would’ve made it through that week without her. She brought light into a really dark place, and I will never forget that. She is the embodiment of light, of compassion, grace, and kindness. She’s exactly what the DAISY Award is meant to honor, and she’s left a mark on me that I’ll carry for life.