In 1999, Patrick Barnes, 33 and a two-time survivor of Hodgkin’s disease, was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune bleeding disorder. He and his wife had just welcomed their first child, a daughter, weeks earlier.
Barnes was cared for at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), where the nurses left an indelible impression on his family. They were skilled clinicians, which his family had expected, but the nurses’ humanity, kindness and compassion astounded them. “We were awed by the way the nurses touched him and spoke with him, even when he was on a ventilator and totally sedated,” Barnes’ father, Mark Barnes, wrote. “The way they informed and educated us eased our minds. They truly helped us through the darkest hours of our lives, with soft voices of hope and strong loving hugs that to this day, we still feel.”
After Patrick Barnes died, his family immediately began talking about ways to memorialize him. His wife, Trena, thought of the acronym, DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem) and the family launched a not-for-profit honoring exemplary nursing care. The DAISY Award, which traces its roots to Barnes’ care experience at SCCA 20 years ago, is now part of the culture at more than 3,500 healthcare facilities and nursing schools in every U.S. state and 21 countries.
SCCA is elevating the DAISY Award’s legacy and honoring current and past recipients by commissioning an artist to develop an original artwork display. The artwork, which will be located in the South Lake Union clinic, will incorporate recipients’ photos and will be permanently featured on the second floor.
Nurses can be nominated by patients, relatives, nursing colleagues, physicians or staff – anyone who believes that a particular nurse is delivering extraordinary care. Nominations are placed into a ballot box that will be located near the artistic display. Awards are given out quarterly and annually.
