My mother cannot stop talking about how blessed she has been to have Anna as a nurse. As a family, we don’t have words enough to express our appreciation for Anna’s dedication, compassion, and skill. When my mother came under Anna’s care, she was a newly diagnosed patient who had been suffering intense pain for 6 weeks. She had been cared for by many nurses and doctors, including many at UCSF, who were incredible in their compassion and care. But from the first few moments in the room, Anna stood out as a nurse who felt like she was going to be my mother’s lifeline. She has been just that. Anna embodies the perfect blend of knowledge, pro-activeness, and sincere compassion. Under her care, we have felt like my mother is always taken care of to the absolute best extent possible. She feels like she is “part of our team,” and in an extraordinarily difficult time, she has helped us relax, knowing that we don’t need to worry since Anna is by our side. From the smallest details (bringing applesauce to help the big pills go down, heat packs and blankets at the slightest sign of discomfort) to the big ones (educating us on what to expect, listening in on all our consults with the many doctors, administering infusions with extraordinary attention and care), it’s hard to describe the completeness of Anna’s care. But I think we can summarize with the sentiment we have felt - if we had a family member who was as skilled and knowledgeable a healthcare provider as Anna, we still can’t imagine that they would have been any more invested, more caring, involved or proactive than Anna has been for my mother. Anna is THE BEST and we sincerely hope that you will recognize her accordingly.