Kia has been part of LCI Infusion’s nursing team for about a year, and I feel honored every day to work beside her. Kia is the embodiment of kindness and compassion. She is soft spoken, has a listening ear, and a very gentle temperament. She is truly the perfect person to work with the oncology population.

Every shift we work together, I see Kia exude attributes that qualify her to receive a DAISY Award. This specific instance will forever stand out in my mind and deserves to be shared with all of you.

Infusion had a hematology patient who came to see us multiple times per week, sometimes for daily stretches, with whom certain nurses became very close, including Kia. Kia would joke around that she is the president of his fan club. He is very much like Kia in the fact that he is kind, enjoys meaningful conversation, and likes to check in with people. He would always come with his wife, who has memory issues, and Kia got to know her, as well.

We cannot pick our patients for the day at infusion and instead are assigned them by our supervisors. Kia would always make it a point to find this patient and go say hello, regardless of how busy her day was.

This patient went inpatient for a bone marrow transplant, and things did not go as planned. He ended up becoming very sick afterward, having to be admitted to a high acuity bed for problems arising from DAH, including intubation, and then ended up in MICU for a higher oxygen requirement.

Kia started to visit him each night after her shift ended at the infusion. This was consistent, even after a busy, stressful day, when she couldn’t sit to chart until after all her patients were gone, causing her to be late. She still went, faithfully, each night, just to sit with him and talk to him.

Due to the health issues his wife is experiencing with her memory, the family could not stay with him into the night. Kia sat there with him and held his hand, and although she expressed doubts that he knew she was there with him, I am convinced he did, as evidenced by a tear rolling down his cheek while she was talking. I know that he was aware of her presence, touched by her truly beautiful heart, and he was able to hear her voice.

As this patient’s journey in the hospital progressed, his health continued to decline, and his family ended up withdrawing care and putting him on comfort measures. Kia went over to the hospital right away and was able to be there with his family and him during this transition period. It gave his family an opportunity to meet one of the nurses who truly changed this man’s life and share stories and pictures with her.

This is just one example of the type of person and nurse Kia is. She treats all her patients with the same kindness. She is often found sitting in the bay with a patient, getting to know them or catching up with ones she has had in the past. She is extremely intentional and believes in caring for the patient as a whole and not just treating a disease for a few hours.

In the oncology world, we are surrounded by a lot of sadness, but then there is Kia, who is the light in these situations.