Anita Maldonado, RN

For nine months, I had been suffering from pain and felt like I was constantly being brushed off. The day the doctor was preparing to send me home again. I felt defeated and unheard. But Anita said, “Oh no, absolutely not you; you can’t go home like this.”

She listened to my concerns, reviewed the imaging I had saved on my phone, and took me seriously. She immediately involved her charge nurse and strongly advocated for further evaluation instead of discharge. Because of Anita, I was not sent home without answers.

Two days later, I was diagnosed with cancer. When Anita came back as my nurse that morning, she walked in with a big smile. When I told her the diagnosis, she came straight to me, hugged me, and stayed positive when everything around me felt overwhelming. In one of the darkest moments of my life, she was my light.

Anita went above and beyond. She listened when I felt unheard, fought for me when I felt dismissed, and showed compassion when I needed it most. I truly believe that, because of her advocacy, I was finally able to get the correct treatment.

She will always be in my heart. She embodies everything the DAISY Award stands for.