August 2010
Kimberly
Fargher
,
RN
Pediatric ICU
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
Peoria
,
IL
United States

 

 

 

Our daughter had surgery when she was six days old. She spent her first weeks of life attached to monitors, lines, tubes, etc. Since we were so concerned about her medical status, we never actually saw her for the baby she was until we arrived at the hospital one morning to see her all cleaned up, wrapped in a cute pink blanket, and wearing precious pink booties. Although this may seem like something small, it meant the world to my husband and I. We both said, "she finally looks like a baby." We would like to nominate Kim for the DAISY Award for giving us that very special moment with our daughter. Kim recognized that Mady needed a bath, a nice clean bed sheet, and some special baby items. She also recognized that we needed to see our daughter for the special child she was - to see her more than just a patient. That same night she took Mady's picture and made her a little sign and hung it on her bed. She wanted to capture some images of Mady for us since she was so awake! Mady later required a second surgery. She spent six additional weeks in the PICU and was hospitalized over Father's Day. When we arrived at the hospital Father's Day morning, we found that Kim had dressed Mady in an outfit I had left and made a special Father's Day card. She even went as far as putting Mady's handprint on it. This card warmed the hearts of all those we shared it with. Everyone agreed that Kim had gone out of her way to make our situation a little brighter. We were blessed to have many great nurses care for our daughter, but there was something about Kim that made us feel extra secure when we would leave Mady for the night. We had witnessed Kim's professionalism and nursing skills. We knew Mady was going to be well monitored and loved in our absence. We knew Kim was in touch with her patients' needs and cared about their well-being. She would even stop in and say hello and offer encouragement on nights when Mady was not her patient. She even went as far as frequently checking Mady's website while she was on her vacation to see how Mady's surgery went. When your child is in the hospital it is hard to have special moments like the ones Kim made for us. We believe it takes a very caring and compassionate person to provide both outstanding medical care and also recognize opportunities to make special moments for families. Please consider Kim for this prestigious DAISY Award as we feel she exemplifies all it stands for.