Shelby Ferrara
July 2025
Shelby
Ferrara
,
RN
Peds Hem/Onc
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Winston-Salem
,
NC
United States
Shelby embodies everything that makes a truly exceptional nurse. She is not just skilled—she is compassionate, present, and deeply invested in the well-being of her patients.
I am honored to nominate Shelby Ferrara for the DAISY Award in recognition of the extraordinary care, compassion, and kindness she showed our son, N, and our entire family—during one of the most difficult times of our lives.
When N was admitted to the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology unit with a leukemia diagnosis, we were devastated. We were thrust into a world we never expected to be in, filled with fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming decisions. Shelby was one of the first people who made us feel like we could get through it. She didn’t just care for our son—she cared about him, and that made all the difference.
Shelby was there for his first chemotherapy treatments, administering them with both skill and a calm reassurance. When he was scared, she didn’t just comfort him—she understood him. She held him when he cried, speaking to him with patience, kindness, and humor that eased his fears. What made an even greater impact was when she shared her own experience as a cancer survivor. In doing so, she gave him something no one else could in that moment: hope.
But Shelby’s compassion didn’t stop with our son. She saw us—his parents—struggling to process everything, and she supported us just as much. She answered our questions with honesty and clarity, took the time to check on us even when she wasn’t assigned to his room, and reassured us in ways that went far beyond medical care. She brought not just her expertise as a nurse, but a genuine kindness that made an unbearable situation feel just a little more manageable.
Shelby embodies everything that makes a truly exceptional nurse. She is not just skilled—she is compassionate, present, and deeply invested in the well-being of her patients. Our son’s journey is just beginning, but we will never forget the impact Shelby had on him and on us.
For her unwavering dedication, her empathy, and the way she went above and beyond in every possible way, we wholeheartedly nominate Shelby Ferrara for the DAISY Award. She is the kind of nurse every family hopes for in their most vulnerable moments, and we are endlessly grateful for her.
When N was admitted to the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology unit with a leukemia diagnosis, we were devastated. We were thrust into a world we never expected to be in, filled with fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming decisions. Shelby was one of the first people who made us feel like we could get through it. She didn’t just care for our son—she cared about him, and that made all the difference.
Shelby was there for his first chemotherapy treatments, administering them with both skill and a calm reassurance. When he was scared, she didn’t just comfort him—she understood him. She held him when he cried, speaking to him with patience, kindness, and humor that eased his fears. What made an even greater impact was when she shared her own experience as a cancer survivor. In doing so, she gave him something no one else could in that moment: hope.
But Shelby’s compassion didn’t stop with our son. She saw us—his parents—struggling to process everything, and she supported us just as much. She answered our questions with honesty and clarity, took the time to check on us even when she wasn’t assigned to his room, and reassured us in ways that went far beyond medical care. She brought not just her expertise as a nurse, but a genuine kindness that made an unbearable situation feel just a little more manageable.
Shelby embodies everything that makes a truly exceptional nurse. She is not just skilled—she is compassionate, present, and deeply invested in the well-being of her patients. Our son’s journey is just beginning, but we will never forget the impact Shelby had on him and on us.
For her unwavering dedication, her empathy, and the way she went above and beyond in every possible way, we wholeheartedly nominate Shelby Ferrara for the DAISY Award. She is the kind of nurse every family hopes for in their most vulnerable moments, and we are endlessly grateful for her.