Newsworthy

When a baby entered the world at just 26 weeks, Calli, a registered nurse (RN) with the Stormont Vail Health NICU team, became a lifeline for the family. For more than 60 days, Calli Pimple provided exceptional clinical care, compassion, hope, and humanity during the most difficult moments.

Her presence meant everything, as the father wrote in Calli’s nomination:

“Thank you for loving our son. Thank you for caring for him as if he were your own. Thank you for making our journey in the NICU more hopeful, more meaningful, and more humane.”

The DAISY Award honors nurses who combine skill with extraordinary compassion. Calli embodies that mission fully, leaving a lasting impact on one family—and on every life she touches.

Calli’s DAISY Nomination

“This letter is not just a nomination. It is a testimony, on behalf of my son Rafael María, who cannot yet speak for himself. But if he could, I know without a doubt he would run into Calli’s arms and hold her tight, smiling at the sound of her voice. Since he cannot do that, I will speak for him. As his father, I carry both his voice and the immense gratitude that fills our hearts.

We met Calli over 60 days ago, when Rafael was just beginning his fight for life at 26 weeks gestation. From that very first day, she became a steady presence in his care—someone who didn’t just perform her duties with technical brilliance, but who infused every interaction with compassion, love, and clarity of purpose. Calli has cared for our son during the daytime shift, three times a week, and every time she walks through the door, we breathe easier.

Because when Calli is there, we know Rafael is safe. Not just clinically, though her technical knowledge and precision are extraordinary, but emotionally, spiritually, and lovingly safe.

She has been by his side through nearly every critical moment of his NICU journey:

• The unplanned extubation following a sudden movement, which she handled with calm precision, stabilizing him immediately.
• The fourth planned extubation attempt, a milestone filled with anxiety and hope, Calli was there.
• The placement of his Broviac line, Calli was there.
• The transition to transpyloric feeding, Calli was there.

Every delicate shift in his respiratory status, weight, or behavior, Calli was present, aware, responsive.

She knows our son in ways only someone who genuinely cares could know him. She talks to him, soothes him, holds him with tenderness. She celebrates his wins, no matter how small, and she never stops paying attention to the tiniest details that make all the difference in neonatal care. Her hands are steady, her procedures flawless, her clinical reasoning sound and responsive.

But Calli is more than a NICU nurse. She is a healer, an educator, a source of peace. She doesn’t just treat symptoms—she sees the soul behind every tiny heartbeat. With us, the parents, she has shown patience, joy, warmth, and professionalism. She explains every device, every medication, every protocol with clarity and empathy. She makes time for questions, for stories, for laughter.

We have shared special moments with her—creating handprint art, dressing Rafael as a tiny boxer with mini gloves to honor his fighting spirit. Calli celebrated that with us, reminding us that the NICU can also hold moments of light. She even made colorful posters for our room door, transforming our sterile space into a place of memory and meaning.

Even when she trains new nurses during her shift—something she does often because of her evident leadership, but she never compromises the care or attention she gives to Rafael. She teaches with generosity, making sure every future nurse learns not just how to perform, but how to care.

Calli is methodical. She is meticulous. She is gentle. And she is deeply human.

Thanks to her, the long, uncertain hours at the NICU have felt more bearable—sometimes even joyful. Thanks to her, we have felt supported as a family, not just treated as patients in a hospital system. And thanks to her, Rafael has not only survived—he has thrived.

If I could say just one thing to her, it would be this:

Thank you for loving our son. Thank you for caring for him as if he were your own. Thank you for making our journey in the NICU more hopeful, more meaningful, and more humane.

The DAISY Award was created to honor nurses who combine clinical excellence with extraordinary compassion. Calli Pimple embodies that mission fully. She has left a mark on our son’s life, and on ours, that will last forever.

This nomination is not simply deserved. It is essential. (They deserved to be recognized for saving lives and caring for those who wouldn’t have a chance without our NICU nurses.)”

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Nominate a Nurse

The DAISY Award, an international recognition program, celebrates and recognizes exceptional nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and peers to thank them for their care and kindness.

Do you know an exceptional nurse? Share their story!