Alexa Medina, RN

There are certain nurses you remember because they took care of you. Then there are nurses you remember because, during one of the darkest moments of your life, they made you feel like you were not alone. Alexa M. is that nurse for me.

Alexa was my nurse in the Neuro Unit after I had just come out of an induced coma due to my epilepsy. That week was, without a doubt, one of the worst and most frightening moments of my life. I was scared, overwhelmed, confused, and struggling to understand everything that had happened to me. In a time when I felt like I had very little control over what was happening to my body and my life, Alexa gave me something I desperately needed: someone who listened.

Alexa was not only my nurse—she became my advocate. There were times when I felt like the doctors weren’t listening to me, but Alexa was. She listened when I spoke, she listened when my mom and fiancé spoke, and she made sure our concerns were heard. She was incredibly patient with me, even when I was scared, frustrated, or struggling.

I had actually had Alexa as my nurse during a previous, much easier hospital stay, and even then I remembered how kind and patient she was. During this hospitalization, that kindness meant so much more. She never made me feel like I was being difficult or that my fears were an inconvenience. She treated me like a person who was going through something incredibly difficult, rather than simply another patient in a hospital bed. Her presence made an overwhelming experience feel a little less frightening.

One of the moments I will never forget happened on the day I was finally able to leave the hospital. Alexa personally wheeled me out to my mom’s car; she helped me all the way into the car and made sure I was sitting comfortably before she stepped away. As she closed the door, I looked at her with tears in my eyes and said, “I’m nominating you for a DAISY Award.”

She chuckled and acted as though I was being silly. But I wasn’t. I meant every word.

That moment has stayed with me because, after everything I had been through, I wanted her to know that she had made a difference. She had been there for me when I was at one of my most vulnerable points, and I will never forget that.

I’ve had plenty of nurses care for me throughout my life, but Alexa is different. Every time I end up back in the hospital, my mom and I look at each other and cross our fingers, hoping that Alexa will be my nurse. I don’t think there is a better way to explain the impact she has had on both of us.

A DAISY Award is meant to recognize nurses who go above and beyond, and Alexa embodies that. She didn’t just care for me medically. She listened to me. She advocated for me. She gave me patience when I needed it most. She gave my mom reassurance. Most importantly, she made me feel seen during a time when I felt completely lost.

I may not remember every medication, every test, or every detail from that hospitalization, but I will always remember Alexa wheeling me to my mom’s car, making sure I was okay, and being the nurse who made one of the worst weeks of my life a little easier to survive.

Alexa, I hope you know that you didn’t just take care of a patient. You made a lasting difference in someone’s life. And I meant it when I told you at that car: you deserve this.