August 2026 Honoree
Carsen Hessler, Nurse Resident
We would like to commend Carsen Hessler. My wife and I were involved in a devastating weather-related car accident. Our vehicle hydroplaned and flipped multiple times, ejecting my wife from the car. I had to be cut out of my seatbelt and removed by first responders.
Within a few hours, I was medically cleared, but my wife was life-flighted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with severe injuries. After assessment, it was determined that my wife had extensive road rash, multiple deep lacerations, and a broken pelvis requiring traction to prevent further damage. While we are deeply grateful for the incredible medical care she has received, the first 36 hours in the Emergency Department were emotionally exhausting. We waited anxiously for updates about surgery and a room placement while trying to navigate the overwhelming uncertainty that comes with trauma care.
Adding to the complexity, my wife has both celiac disease and alpha-gal syndrome, making even routine aspects of care—food, medications, hygiene, and wound management—far more complicated than normal. We felt scared, exhausted, and at times hopeless. Everything changed when we arrived in the Trauma ICU and met Carsen. From the moment she walked into the room, Carsen treated us not like another assignment, but like people who mattered. She listened carefully to every question and concern we had, and she never made us feel like a burden. Whether we were discussing wound care, bathing in bed, catheter cleanup, medication concerns, or simple comfort measures, Carsen genuinely took our thoughts into consideration and worked collaboratively with us in a way that restored our trust and hope.
What makes Carsen extraordinary is not just her clinical skill, but the humanity she brings into every interaction. She is funny, personable, compassionate, and deeply present. Even during long nights in the ICU, she brought a calm and comforting energy that made one of the worst experiences of our lives feel survivable. It is obvious that nursing is not simply a job to her—it is truly who she is.
Over the course of several nights, we got to know Carsen beyond her role as our nurse. We learned she graduated from the University of Kentucky about a year ago, loves to read, and somehow has never seen The Golden Girls. Those small conversations meant more to us than she probably realizes. In the middle of fear, pain, and uncertainty, she reminded us what normal human connection feels like.
As her three-day rotation came to an end, my wife and I both felt genuine sadness knowing we would no longer have her caring for us each night. While my wife continues to receive world-class treatment at VUMC, there is simply no replacing the comfort, trust, and peace Carsen brought into our room. Carsen will never be forgotten by our family. I can only imagine how many other patients and families she has impacted in the same profound way. She embodies everything the DAISY Award represents: extraordinary clinical care, compassion, advocacy, kindness, and human connection during life’s most difficult moments. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is truly blessed to have someone like Carsen on its staff. She deserves not only a DAISY Award, but every flower that comes with it.
Within a few hours, I was medically cleared, but my wife was life-flighted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with severe injuries. After assessment, it was determined that my wife had extensive road rash, multiple deep lacerations, and a broken pelvis requiring traction to prevent further damage. While we are deeply grateful for the incredible medical care she has received, the first 36 hours in the Emergency Department were emotionally exhausting. We waited anxiously for updates about surgery and a room placement while trying to navigate the overwhelming uncertainty that comes with trauma care.
Adding to the complexity, my wife has both celiac disease and alpha-gal syndrome, making even routine aspects of care—food, medications, hygiene, and wound management—far more complicated than normal. We felt scared, exhausted, and at times hopeless. Everything changed when we arrived in the Trauma ICU and met Carsen. From the moment she walked into the room, Carsen treated us not like another assignment, but like people who mattered. She listened carefully to every question and concern we had, and she never made us feel like a burden. Whether we were discussing wound care, bathing in bed, catheter cleanup, medication concerns, or simple comfort measures, Carsen genuinely took our thoughts into consideration and worked collaboratively with us in a way that restored our trust and hope.
What makes Carsen extraordinary is not just her clinical skill, but the humanity she brings into every interaction. She is funny, personable, compassionate, and deeply present. Even during long nights in the ICU, she brought a calm and comforting energy that made one of the worst experiences of our lives feel survivable. It is obvious that nursing is not simply a job to her—it is truly who she is.
Over the course of several nights, we got to know Carsen beyond her role as our nurse. We learned she graduated from the University of Kentucky about a year ago, loves to read, and somehow has never seen The Golden Girls. Those small conversations meant more to us than she probably realizes. In the middle of fear, pain, and uncertainty, she reminded us what normal human connection feels like.
As her three-day rotation came to an end, my wife and I both felt genuine sadness knowing we would no longer have her caring for us each night. While my wife continues to receive world-class treatment at VUMC, there is simply no replacing the comfort, trust, and peace Carsen brought into our room. Carsen will never be forgotten by our family. I can only imagine how many other patients and families she has impacted in the same profound way. She embodies everything the DAISY Award represents: extraordinary clinical care, compassion, advocacy, kindness, and human connection during life’s most difficult moments. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is truly blessed to have someone like Carsen on its staff. She deserves not only a DAISY Award, but every flower that comes with it.
Thank you, Carsen, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
View More Honorees