September 2026 Honoree
Mary Holmes, RN
Mary Holmes is an amazing person who happens to be a VA nurse. I am a veteran who has struggled with an addiction, and oftentimes, because of the stigma attached to drug abuse, you’re treated poorly and meanly. Upon leaving the ER, I didn’t know how to think or feel, or what was next after stabilization. Mary treated me like a human being first.
Afterward, I settled my crying and found that, after being assaulted, my trauma could be healed by me, by taking care of myself. She believed my story and talked to me about healing and learning to take care of myself. That’s when I was confident enough to get back to life, but not before taking on PRRTP. Honestly, if I hadn’t experienced her empowerment, that would have been my last decision. Well, here I am going into the second week, and I'm so glad I enrolled in the program. Thank you for helping me help myself. You saved my life!
Afterward, I settled my crying and found that, after being assaulted, my trauma could be healed by me, by taking care of myself. She believed my story and talked to me about healing and learning to take care of myself. That’s when I was confident enough to get back to life, but not before taking on PRRTP. Honestly, if I hadn’t experienced her empowerment, that would have been my last decision. Well, here I am going into the second week, and I'm so glad I enrolled in the program. Thank you for helping me help myself. You saved my life!
Thank you, Mary, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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