Our 22-month old daughter was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. We had to learn this information over the telephone because our pediatrician is in Spearfish and this was an unexpected finding on the MRI. Stephanie was our daughter's nurse as she recovered from her sedation. Stephanie brought us to the room where our daughter was and as we were all crying, fearing the worst, she told us that, yes indeed, bad news was coming, though she did not yet have the specifics. Stephanie was put in a terrible position here because the radiologist did not want to inform us of the findings and we had no association with any doctors here otherwise. Stephanie did everything possible to make us feel comforted in a chaotic and terrifying situation. She made contact with our daughter's pediatrician by phone and held us as we heard the horrifying news of her brain tumor.
The moments that followed are a whirlwind, though I do know Stephanie returned to our sides checking frequently on our needs, even after we had been moved to a room on the Peds floor for privacy before we were flown out to University of Minnesota Children's Hospital. She hugged us tight, prayed with us and cried along with us.
We were in Minnesota for a couple weeks before returning home to start chemo and radiation. Our poor daughter has to be sedated for every radiation treatment every day for 6 weeks. We asked if possible to have Stephanie as our daughter's recovery nurse. Sure enough on our daughter's first day of radiation Stephanie was there, wearing her "K's Krusaders" shirt and a huge smile on her face.
K's second day of radiation was Stephanie's scheduled day off and yet she came in anyway JUST for K and wearing her "K's Krusaders" shirt. She truly cares for my baby girl and we are so very thankful for her genuine loving nature and care.
As a prior recipient of it myself, I can whole-heartedly say Stephanie is entirely deserving of this DAISY Award.