When my mom went on hospice, we were nervous about the care she would receive. She was a unique case, due to the type of wound she had and its severity. Klasiena, my mom's nurse, was incredible. She took it upon herself to research my mom's condition and listened and learned from my dad who had been doing my mom's wound care for over a year before hospice was involved. As my mom made tough choices, Klasiena was there. She continued to educate herself as things came up, and made sure that my family always had the supplies and medications that were needed. She was a huge support for the primary caregivers (my dad and I) too. She was always available to answer questions (I had a lot), as well as provide the emotional support I needed to provide care to my mom. This was the hardest, saddest, and scariest experience of my life, but Klasiena made it less so. I knew that I had her support and that my dad and I weren't alone in managing mom's care. I don't know what we would have done without her! Most importantly, however, Klasiena made my mom's time on hospice enjoyable. They just "clicked." My mom talked about how she felt like she didn't just have a nurse, she had a friend. They bonded over common interests, and my mom found her visits comforting and always looked forward to them. Toward the end, this relationship they had built was key to keeping my mom safe and comfortable when she had some confusion. It brought me a lot of peace seeing how much my mom trusted and respected Klasiena. My mom was also a nurse, and Klasiena treating her like a peer (and not just a patient) was something that made a huge difference for her. I could go on forever about all of the ways Klasiena impacted my mom's hospice experience for the better, but I'll end with this; there is truly no one more deserving of a Hospice Caregiver Award than her.

-Marilla Widerquist