I have had the honor of working with Aimee for almost nine years now since starting at Beatrice Hospital. We both worked in acute care and then later in ICU together. We always got along very well together, and I always really liked working with her. Later, we became very good friends at work and outside of work.

We went through the pandemic together, and there were many nights we were partnered up in the Covid unit. Aimee has always had a calm, rational, and resourceful approach and attitude when handling any problems or medical situations. She is never too busy to stop and help another co-worker and will always make sure all the patients are safe and well cared for on the floor. During the pandemic, when things were bad, I would always feel so much better just having her there. She would be calm in all the chaos when I'd see her.

Shortly after the pandemic, at the end of summer 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not only dealing with the trauma and severe burnout of what medical has gone through but now she was facing cancer. I watched my friend go through surgery, chemo, radiation, and all the side effects, all while still working on the floor and still putting patients and her co-workers first with fierce determination. She felt horrible calling in sick, knowing we were dealing with a global medical shortage, and she would tell me how worried she'd get. I've seen her almost pass out at work, brush it aside, and still take an admit. I've seen her not be able to eat or drink anything because her sense of taste was altered so badly. I've seen her take other cancer patients, knowing how hard it was to see, especially if they didn't make it.

She was dealing with cancer, all the nonstop appointments, side effects, and symptoms, and she was still worried about work and being there for everyone. My friend is the silent type; she never tells anyone about what she's going through or how she's feeling. She'll take so much on her shoulders. Watching her was truly awe-inspiring and, to me, proof that you never really know what you can go through until you're going through it. It was such an honor to be there with my friend through it all, although I would have taken it all away from her in an instant if I could've. It was a long year, but we made it through together. And her hair grew back, and I couldn't say how relieved and happy I am just to be working and talking with my friend and co-worker, and she's still going strong.

In all my years of nursing, I started as an aide when I was nineteen, and I've been an RN for twelve years now, I've rarely seen someone so strong in medical. Someone willing to take on so much just to be there for their medical family. There are no words for how proud I am of Aimee or how thankful I am to know her.