Each day that Hallie was my dad's nurse, she brought sunshine, compassion, laughter, respect, and knowledge into my family's life. She greeted my dad, even though he was asleep or heavily medicated. Because he's nearly deaf, she made sure to talk to him through his Pocket Talker, greeting him by name, introducing herself, and telling him what she was going to do and why. If the procedure made him uncomfortable or inadvertently caused him pain, she apologized and calmed him down by holding his hand and talking to him. She treated my family with such kindness, explaining to us the whys and the whats for everything that she did. We always felt that my dad was in the right place for his care. Hallie helped us understand how Palliative Care would help Dad be pain-free until the end of his life. We hadn't seen him respond to our voices in at least 24 hours. But when Hallie came in at the end of her last shift of the week, she leaned in to say goodbye and that she was leaving for the night. He responded by giving her a thumbs-up. His response to Hallie told us that he was still aware of what was happening around him, but also that he had connected with her. That was truly a special moment for all of us.

**This is Hallie's 2nd DAISY Award!