Last year, our daughter was diagnosed with cancer, and I don’t think our family would have made it through the year if it weren’t for Jean. Here are just a few of the reasons why: Compassion: The first couple of weeks of our daughter’s diagnosis were very bleak and hard to remember, except for Jean’s presence. She fully understood what we were going through and was immensely supportive through the worst weeks of our lives. Jean also traveled to San Francisco to visit us during our daughter’s bone marrow transplant, which brought tears to our eyes. It was a scary time, yet again, she was able to bring us comfort. Jean’s heart is the biggest of anyone I have ever met. There isn’t a patient at our hospital that doesn’t love Jean as she shows the same incredible amount of compassion to everyone.

Superior Nurse: We know we were in the best care when Jean is/was our nurse. Her attention to detail is amazing! She repeatedly looked for better/alternative methods and was always an advocate for our daughter. She has been creative in finding other solutions to help our daughter feel better. During rounds, the doctors always ask her opinion as she is an expert in her field.

Loving: While Jean was a nurse to our daughter, she was so much more to our family. We also have a 7-year-old son who emphatically claims Jean is his favorite nurse. You can always find Jean racing around the hallways with him on tricycles or listening to him tell jokes. She realizes the impact this has not only on our daughter but also on our son. She makes him feel special, makes the Hospital a place of fun, and makes him feel safe. Jean doesn’t shy away from childhood cancer. Instead, she leads the charge for Kaiser. Jean leads fundraising for Kaiser to bring young adults to cancer care. She meets with other functions/departments to continue education for line care. This was the hardest year of our lives, but we still consider ourselves lucky because we had a nurse like Jean.