Memorial Announces Gabrielle "Gabe" N Dronette March 2026 DAISY Award Winner

​Congratulations to Gabrielle "Gabe" Dronette, RN a nurse in the Family Birth Center at Lake Charles Memorial Health System. She was nominated by a patient for her expert, calm, and positive attitude during a health emergency.

From the nominator:

I had my fourth child, and what was planned to be a routine induction and delivery (just like my previous pregnancies) was not the case this time around. I am so very thankful for all of the nursing staff and for Dr. F. The care I received truly saved my son’s life, or, at the very least, allowed for the best possible outcome.

Gabe was by my side through the entire laboring experience, epidural, and everything in between. Early in the process, I began experiencing decelerations. She was exceptionally attentive, gathering additional support when needed, repositioning me to improve the situation, and trying everything possible to allow for a routine delivery. She remained calm and positive throughout the day and never made me feel like a burden or that I was taking up too much of her time.

When the call was made that an emergency C‑section was necessary, it became a true team effort to get the baby and me ready as quickly as possible. But it was at that moment that Gabe truly stood out. She showed that L&D nursing, as tough and demanding as it can be, is without a doubt her calling.

Once we arrived in the operating room, everything felt chaotic. When I learned I was going to have to be intubated, even more fear set in. I was speechless. It’s hard to describe exactly what I was feeling, despite the reassurance around me; all I could do was cry. Gabe held my hand, looked me in the eye, and asked, “Do you want me to pray with you?” Wow. What a profound moment. I felt a peace I still can’t explain. I didn’t know what condition my baby would be in when I woke up, but in that moment, she reminded me of hope and of trust.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur, and I never got to formally thank her or tell her how much I felt God had placed her in our path for a reason that day. I feel so blessed to have had her grace, expertise, and most of all, her faith fighting with me.

The rest of the nursing, surgical, and anesthesia staff were also efficient and compassionate during such a frightening time. I want to thank all of them!

I am so blessed to be able to say that my baby boy is perfect, healthy, and the happiest baby I’ve ever known. Thank you, Gabe, for being outstanding on one of the scariest days of my husband’s and my life.

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 Gabrielle's nomination, click here >>>