It is with unmeasurable gratitude and admiration that I nominate Tessie Dominga for the DAISY Award. As a nurse in the Pediatric Unit at Sanford Medical Center, Tessie is the very essence of a compassionate and dedicated nurse. My daughter, C, was admitted to the peds unit to be treated for a post-craniotomy infection. What started out as a short stay for antibiotics led to another craniotomy and turned into a parent’s worst nightmare. Tessie was by my side through the end. From the moment she was assigned to C for cares, Tessie was a beacon of support during what would become the most challenging time of our lives. Her clinical skills were evident in her swift actions to begin life-saving measures for C, but it was her empathy, compassion, and kindness that truly made a difference.

Tessie went above and beyond to get to know C, not just as a patient, but as a person. Being 20, C was older than most of the peds patients and had different interests. Tessie took time to get to know her on a personal level, learned C’s hopes and dreams for the future and her interests. Tessie also took the time to get to know me, not just as a mom worried about her child, but as a person. She never forgot a single detail of what C shared with her. She spent time with C, never making her feel like a burden to be cared for. Tessie always provided extraordinary care in a very professional manner. She always explained every procedure or medication in a way that made C comfortable. If things weren’t helping C, Tessie worked to brainstorm ideas to make her feel better.

I will forever be grateful for Tessie being there when my daughter had a seizure that ultimately took her life. Although Tessie was not trying to wake C when she came in for meds, she noticed C’s posturing and immediately called for help and a code was started. Tessie never left during all the commotion and was there for me after C passed. Tessie was there to welcome my boys when they arrived with their father and offered them support. She cried with me and hugged me. After hours had passed, she helped me pack up all our belongings, walking with me to the car both to help load everything and so that I wouldn’t be alone. Tessie helped by offering some healing to our broken hearts. Her compassion, professionalism, and commitment to her patients make her an outstanding nurse and a true DAISY Honoree.