It has taken me almost a year to work through the painful steps of sharing this well-deserved nomination. My wonderful mother learned that her stomachache was pancreatic cancer that had spread to her liver. She was a nurse, mother of four, and grandmother of nine who constantly watched out for her health and ours. Still, she walked five miles a day, knit intricate scarves for friends, ate healthily, actively cared for her grandchildren, and remained the center of all our worlds. It pains me to think how well she knew what this shocking diagnosis meant. She was told to go to the ER, and I met her there.

After a short wait full of hugs, tears, and unimaginable conversation, we were guided to a temporary room. Always incredibly gracious, attentive, and patient, she followed every instruction. The hours stretched on throughout the night, and I knew she was wrestling with her biggest fears becoming reality- leaving her beloved family. Her eyes were terror-stricken, and she was clearly trapped in her worst nightmare. Reluctantly, I told my mom I would be back after a quick trip to my car at some point. When I returned to my mom, she was smiling and eating an orange popsicle. She said she had talked to a nurse who held her hand and found the only food that sounded good enough to eat. She told me I could find her by asking for the popsicle nurse, and I quickly found Christeen Gruber.

She was clearly busy but knew we were desperate for some sense of comfort, and followed me to my mom's side. She held my mom's hand and told her she needed to be strong for what was ahead. My mom asked about her kids, and they talked to each other as two moms who understood each other. I don't think that finding popsicles and holding my mom's hand were on Christeen's task list, but she made my mom feel understood —and this still means the world to us. Christeen stuck with us through the rest of her shift and helped me get my mom to a room. She was the north star we so desperately needed that night. Her kind gestures and genuine interest in my mom's comfort helped us hang on until we could see the sun rise the next day and stay strong for whatever was ahead.

She looked my mom in the eyes and valued her as a mother and grandmother, and I could see that my mom was reminded of her own strength. She was the strongest person I will ever know and showed us this in the following weeks we had left with her. My mom asked for so few things from us, and one was that I write a letter of recommendation for Christeen. Christeen shared her contact information, and she graciously spoke to my mom shortly before she passed away. I knew that though their interactions were brief, her voice would bring comfort to her, and I feel certain that it did. Please consider this request to recognize Christeen with any award or recognition that honors what makes nurses like my mom and Christeen the foundation of excellent health care - expertise wrapped in empathy, kindness, courage, and grace.