MONROE — Kelly Johnson, RN, a nurse with Monroe Clinic Hospice, was recently awarded the DAISY Award based on a nomination from a patient’s family. 

Johnson has been a hospice nurse for almost three years. Her award nomination was written by fellow Monroe Clinic nurse Deb Wolff of Lena, Illinois. Wolff described the relationship between Johnson, her patient and Wolff’s father-in-law, Fred, and the Wolff family. 

“Fred instantly loved Kelly,” Wolff said. “Her smile won him over, besides her open, honest, positive nature that made him feel so comfortable.” 

Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, Fred had several months of chemotherapy but ultimately made the decision to end treatment “so he could enjoy the rest of his life with his family.” 

Johnson helped the family realize Fred’s wish to spend his last months at home on his farm. 

With Fred back home, Wolff said Johnson’s visits, and the time she spent with Fred, made her one of the family. 

Sadly, Fred passed away in January 2018.

“We feel Kelly is so deserving of a DAISY award,” Wolff said. “Anyone can go to school and earn a degree in nursing, but not everyone has a caring compassionate heart like she does. We feel God placed her in Fred’s and our family’s lives for a reason, an ‘angel’ to care for him here on Earth before he had to leave us.”

The DAISY Award is a national initiative through the DAISY Foundation. 

The Foundation was established in 1999 in memory of Patrick Barnes, a 33-year old who passed away from an auto-immune disease. Barnes’ family wanted to use the foundation and the award to honor nurses for the extraordinary care they provide to patients and families every day.

Nomination forms are available at any Monroe Clinic patient registration desk and online at monroeclinic.org/daisy.