I would like to nominate Carly Martin for her extraordinary compassion and dedication toward her patients. Specifically, Carly was speaking to her patient and his fiancée about his potentially life-altering brain tumor resection in the upcoming days. They were speaking about medical decision-makers and how the couple wanted the fiancée to be the main decision-maker during this process, meaning she would need to become his wife. Carly explained that if that’s what they wanted to pursue, she would make it happen.

They applied for a marriage license that same day. Carly decorated our unit's conference room and transformed it into a chapel; she made the room and entryway look nice and professional, given the limited options we had in the hospital. The couple got married with the chaplain that afternoon. It was a beautiful and intimate Neuroscience ICU wedding. The couple was so thankful that this was able to be done and coordinated in such a short amount of time.

Carly truly deserves this award for going above and beyond what was expected of her in this situation. She made this challenging and life-changing time positive, helping them achieve their lifelong dream of marriage under the most difficult circumstances. She displayed the true meaning of being a nurse, while not only caring for his specialized medical needs but also caring for the couple's emotional needs and creating memories that will last a lifetime. 

Carly’s thoughtfulness and compassion are a true testament to the profound impact that healthcare professionals can have on patients’ lives, particularly during some of their most vulnerable moments. I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Carly for this award.