In February of this year, my beloved mom was hospitalized due to a fall. While I cannot remember anyone not being kind to my mom, Paige Diaz stood out from all of the rest. She spoke to my mom, not at her. Mom was physically fragile, but she still had some spunk left, and Paige helped her tap into that. The soft way she "swept" mom back into her bed, her encouraging tone that she somehow managed not to sound like an adult talking to a child, but just sincere encouragement. Paige showed my mom a gentleness that I can never repay her for. She was not only competent, but she had confidence without arrogance which made both mom and I feel more comfortable in a difficult situation.

My mom had spent her 40+ year career as an OR nurse and while most of the time her patients were under anesthesia I remember her telling me stories about patients being afraid and how she would try to calm them. One patient even recognized mom's "kind eyes" one day at the grocery store, which shocked her because, with only her eyes visible between the cap and mask, they were all she could see of her. Maybe it was some kind of payback for her kindness over her career that Mom got a nurse like Paige. Mom was able to recover enough to go home, but unfortunately passed away a few days later. 6 months later, I am still thinking about the care Paige gave my mom.

Although I'm certain Mom was one of many patients Paige was responsible for, she never made us feel like she was in a rush or just getting the job done. I am deeply grateful for the way Paige made my mom feel during those days. Nursing is a job, a career, but sometimes it just seems it's more. A passion, maybe. Something the nurse does from the heart first and the head second. Paige is an example of that. I wanted to let you know about the extraordinary nurse at your hospital, who has a profoundly positive impact on both her patients and their loved ones. She is a fantastic ambassador for the profession and your hospital