Daniella Towey, BSN, RN

As a young teen girl, I came in for a routine appointment, never expecting to be admitted. When I was told that I needed to be admitted, I burst into tears. Fear filled me, and I kept thinking, “No, I can’t do this.” That night, the tears never stopped. Over and over again, I kept saying to my mom, “Take me out. I can’t be here. This is going to cause me trauma.” I was freaking out, especially knowing I had at least a week ahead of me with no way out. I felt like I was going insane.

The next morning, I woke up feeling terrible and wanting to do nothing. Again, I kept saying to my mom, “Get me out.” I felt terrible until the sunshine in my storm walked into my room, her bright smile, beautiful heart, and soul changing all of this for me.

Dani connected with me in every way and motivated me in ways nobody else could. When I refused to eat at MOORs, she got me to come by and eat with her twice while we talked. If it wasn’t for Dani, would I ever have eaten there? Simply, no. That meant I would not be where I am now, nor would I have been as successful as I was in the hospital during my stay.

Overall, she advocated for me, took me for walks, and almost made me feel like she was an older sister.

I hate to say this about being in a hospital, but because of Dani, I may have made one of the funniest memories of my life at Nemours. She created an everlasting impact on me that I will carry throughout my life, and I aspire to be half as great a nurse as Dani is when I hopefully become a NICU nurse one day. Dani truly deserves the world, and I hope everyone sees her the way I do, because she is so much more than just a nurse or person.