On November 14, 2024, TRU Community Care held its 2nd Bi-Annual DAISY Award Celebration. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses recognizes the compassionate, skilled care that nurses provide to patients and families every day. This quarter, the award was presented to Hailey Wolfe, whose exceptional care exemplifies the heart of hospice nursing.
About The DAISY Award
The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the family of Patrick Barnes, who passed away at age 33 from complications of an auto-immune disease. During Patrick’s eight-week illness, his family was deeply moved by the extraordinary compassion and kindness his nurses brought to his bedside. To honor nurses everywhere, the Barnes family created The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. What began as one family’s thank you has grown into a meaningful recognition program embraced by thousands of healthcare organizations worldwide.
Hailey’s Story: An Angel on Earth
Hailey Wolfe being presented the Daisy Award
Hailey Wolfe was nominated by a family member who faced one of life’s most difficult decisions – placing her mother in long-term care due to Alzheimer’s disease. When the mother was assigned to TRU’s hospice services, Hailey became not just a nurse, but an advocate, compassionate caregiver, and source of comfort for the entire family.
The nomination beautifully captures Hailey’s impact:
“Hailey is someone I believe to be one of God’s angels on earth. She was the most amazing advocate for mom, as well as the most compassionate care giver I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. She is gifted for this kind of soul crushing work. She always made mom smile and feel at ease.”
Hailey demonstrated the qualities that define extraordinary nursing: clinical excellence, patient advocacy, clear communication, and genuine compassion. She addressed family concerns thoroughly and immediately, explained every aspect of care with patience and love, and ensured her patient always felt dignity and comfort.
When the time came for the mother’s passing, Hailey’s compassion extended to grieving with the family. As the nominator shared, “It’s obvious that she has a gift for this work and I’m not sure how we would have made it through this time without her.”
Along with her certificate and DAISY Honoree Pin, Hailey received The Healer’s Touch sculpture – a hand-carved piece representing the bond between nurses and their patients – and she and her colleagues shared cinnamon rolls, Patrick Barnes’ favorite treat that is now shared at every DAISY celebration as his gift of gratitude to nurses everywhere.
Making a Difference Every Day
The DAISY Award reminds us that when nurses are “just doing their jobs,” they have a profound impact on the lives of patients and families. As the nomination concluded: “We will never forget Hailey; she’s in our hearts forever. I can only pray that each of us has a hospice nurse like Hailey should we ever need one.”
Congratulations, Hailey, on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you for the compassion, skill, and heart you bring to your work every day.