It was a shocking diagnosis that rocked a Lee County family. A was a healthy 49-year-old when he developed persistent back pain. Doctors discovered a large mass on his back that was eventually diagnosed as sarcoma, a rare but serious form of cancer. “His outlook was, ‘when this is over, I’ll have a story to share.’ He never said, ‘why me?’ He said, ‘Why can’t I be the one God gives a story to,’” A’s wife, M, said. “His goal from day one was to share his story. He was always positive, and all of his nurses were positive and uplifting, and they made the journey bearable.”

M wanted to highlight some of those outstanding nurses as the nation celebrates National Nurses Week. “All of those ladies touched our lives at every moment in so many different ways. They are truly in the profession they are meant to be, not just to take care of the patient, but their family,” she said.

M nominated six nurses for the DAISY Award, a recognition that shines a light on extraordinary care and compassion shown by nurses around the world.  “Every interaction we had was positive, and these nurses are examples of the great care we received.”

Following surgery, the Grubbs moved to Floor 6AB, where the emotional weight deepened, due to A no longer being able to feel or move his legs. The family faced the reality that the recovery would be long and that specialized care would be needed.

“Our prayer was that surgery would resolve these issues, but we didn’t realize how long of a journey it would be. It was determined we needed to go somewhere for inpatient rehab, and where there was a sarcoma specialist,” M said.

Matoya Hudson, the unit’s case manager, played a key role in finding the right rehabilitation center. “Matoya is hands down the best case manager. She went above and beyond and was in our room multiple times a day, working out the details.”