Memorial Announces Rena Gaspard November 2025 DAISY Award Winner

Congratulations to Rena Gaspard, RN, a float pool nurse at Lake Charles Memorial Health System. She was nominated by a patient in her car for her compassionate concern and attentiveness.

From the nominator:

Rena made a meaningful difference in my hospital stay from the very first night. I was admitted in the early morning hours after being in the ER, unsure of what to expect and anxious about my diagnosis. She welcomed me with warmth and kindness that immediately eased by worries. Over the next couple of days, she went out of her way to ensure my bed was always made and that I had the supplies I needed.

When she returned to work after my initial check-in, I was concerned because I had gone a day and a half without certain medications. The doctor had told us that she released them. While I had asked the day nurse, I was told the medications were distributed at certain times. Rena stepped in, and within no time, she had the medication for me. That moment showed how much she truly cared.

Through her compassion, attentiveness, and willingness to go above and beyond, she built a quick rapport with me that brought real comfort during a time of uncertainty. Her kindness turned what could have been a very difficult experience into one filled with reassurance and care.

About DAISY:

In late 1999, at the age of 33, Patrick Barnes awoke with some blood blisters in his mouth. Having survived Hodgkin's Disease twice, he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura).

Said his father, Mark Barnes, "We are so blessed that we were able to spend the eight weeks of his hospitalization with him and his family. During those weeks, we experienced the best of Nursing. We were there to see the clinical skill that dealt with his very complex medical situation, the fast thinking of nurses who saved his life more than once, and that nursing excellence that took years to hone to the best of the profession. But frankly, as a patient family, we rather expected that Pat would have great clinical care. That was why he was in the hospital. What we did not expect was the way his nurses delivered that care - the kindness and compassion they gave Pat and all of us in his family every day. We were awed by the way the nurses touched him and spoke with him, even when he was on a ventilator and totally sedated. 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."

Just days after he died, the family began talking about what they would do to help fill the giant hole in their hearts that Pat’s passing had left. His wife came up with the acronym, DAISY, standing for diseases attacking the immune system. As they discussed what to do in Patrick’s memory, first and foremost, they wanted to say Thank You for the gifts nurses give their patients and families every day. That is when the family created The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses.

For more information regarding Rena's nomination, click here >>>