DAISY Award
Congratulations to Maureen Craig
Maureen Craig, RN, MSN
Clinical Nurse Specialist Nephrology
The day I was diagnosed with Stage 5 renal disease changed my entire life. At first ( without any knowledge of my own disease) I had decided I wanted to go home immediately, sell all of my belongings, and go travel the world for the remaining 10-14 days I'd have left to live... Then I met Maureen. Although our initial meeting was maybe an hour, that hour changed my perception and the rest of my life. If you read my medical chart you would know I was a young woman from Kansas city, visiting for my birthday, then suddenly being rushed to ER, then life flighted to UC Davis, being placed on a ventilator during and after having an arterial line placed, you'd know all of this was a shock to someone who had no prior knowledge to my illness. I went from having no hope to giving up on life to remembering my purpose in life and realizing that I needed to fight. Maureen had this ability to change my outlook of such a negative experience and finding the light at the end of the tunnel. She helped the 21 days I had to spend in the hospital be that much sweeter. Constantly she provided me with information on my diagnosis, meal plans, and other survivor stories. Maureen was hands down the sole reason why I was able to choose to keep fighting for my life. I call her my angel. If I had not gotten the chance to speak with her that day, I probably wouldn't be here to express the amount of gratitude I have for her. She isn't just a medical professional to me, she is someone who I will forever be indebted to for; I can never repay the magnitude of what she has done for me. Since our initial encounter she has shared my story, kept in contact via pen pal, and has always been able to give such positive light and energy when I may not have the strength to do it for myself. If there should ever be an award dedicated to someone that doesn't already have their own award named after them but deserves it tenfold, this would be the one. Maureen Craig, remember that name because she is the Daisy Award winner for 2018/2019 in my book and multiple years to come.
About the DAISY Award
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses recognizes outstanding members of the nursing community and the very special work they do every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of the extraordinary nursing J. Patrick Barnes received when he was hospitalized. (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system.) This nursing recognition award program offers patients, families, and professional colleagues a way to honor nurses for all they do. The DAISY awardees consistently demonstrate excellence through their clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care.