I would like to nominate Mia Alcantara for the DAISY Award for her extraordinary compassion, kindness, and dedication to a patient—and fellow nurse—during one of the most difficult moments of her life. Over the past year, Mia cared for this patient multiple times during her stays on 5 East, building a meaningful and special bond with her. This patient, a nurse herself, faced a heartbreaking transition to hospice care.

On the night before she was scheduled to leave, she made a simple but profound request: she wanted someone from the 5 East team to sit with her. She shared that she felt safest and most comfortable with our staff because of the many days she spent in our unit, forming trusting connections with those who cared for her. Without hesitation, Mia volunteered to come in on her own time to honor that request. She sat with the patient through the night, offering comfort, dignity, reassurance, and companionship. She was not just a nurse in that moment—she was the steady presence the patient needed, and the source of peace and emotional support the patient’s family could lean on.

Mia’s actions reflect the true heart of nursing: compassion in action, humanity in care, and love in service. To show up, selflessly, for a colleague and a patient in their most vulnerable moment is something deeply meaningful and profoundly moving. What she did was not expected—it was chosen out of empathy, kindness, and genuine care. Her gesture was one of the most heartwarming examples of compassion we have witnessed. Mia demonstrated exactly what the DAISY Award is meant to honor: extraordinary, patient-centered nursing that touches lives in lasting ways. Mia embodies the spirit of nursing and the values we hold closest on 5 East. Her compassion made an immeasurable difference to a patient and family who will forever remember her kindness.