There are not enough words to express how much Mariah brings to the field of nursing. She is the epitome of a DAISY Nurse. Mariah puts the patient at the absolute forefront of everything she does and is a fierce and kind advocate. Her dedication to learning and growing her skills is exceptional, and she brings an unbelievably caring demeanor to the bedside. Recently, I had the privilege of speaking with a patient whom Mariah cared for, who called her his hero. He spoke to me about how kind and caring she was and how attentive she was to him in his time of need. He asked me how he could recognize Mariah, and I told him about the DAISY Award. His recognition is below.

"During my days after release from the ICU to the 9th Floor, I had the privilege of being cared for by Nurse Mariah for three straight days. Quite simply, Mariah is one of the very best nurses I have ever had (not to demean any of your other nurses at YNHH, all of whom were excellent and caring). And I've had a lot of experience, unfortunately: I've had three other extended hospital stays—two at Hartford Hospital for rectal cancer and one at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City for a splenectomy due to this lymphoma (a great hospital with excellent nurses, but none as fantastic as Mariah!).

Mariah is the quintessential nurse's nurse: a caring, confident, calm, knowledgeable, and wise professional caregiver, made all the more impressive by her being a nurse for only the short tenure of 3 years. I was impressed immediately by Mariah's calm, confident demeanor and warm bedside manner. And let me tell you, bedside manner and warmth mean everything to my healing! She took the time to talk to me sincerely and get to know me. She always had a big smile on her face, and her consistently upbeat attitude brightened my day and definitely sped up my recovery.

Mariah went above and beyond the expected level of care and personalized her approach always. She also showed extra care for my well-being on one occasion when a research doctor (I signed up for a study) took me into the hall and asked me to walk 10–12 feet. Mariah immediately intervened to ensure I was up to that task.

Her depth of judgment really helped me to make decisions with the team, especially on such sensitive matters as when to drop my oxygen feed levels. I always maintained full confidence in whatever Mariah recommended to me, as she exuded the positive confidence of a veteran caregiver.

So when I heard about the DAISY Award, I made it a point to write this in support of such a recognition of Mariah for her truly outstanding service to me. She is an absolute asset to the healthcare field and will continue to do amazing things for her patients and inspire those around her."