On Tuesday, Aug. 30, Councilmember Steve Padilla honored and celebrated the Thornton 2 East Progressive Care Unit (PCU) nursing team at Jacob’s Medical Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla for receiving the DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses.
In March of 2020, Padilla was the Thornton 2 East nursing team’s first COVID-19 patient and the first elected official in California to test positive for the virus. The nurses of 2 East PCU took care of Padilla from the point he was admitted to the hospital to the days after he returned from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after 11 days on a ventilator; he was not expected to survive.
“Words cannot possibly express the level of gratitude I feel for this team of nurses that literally saved my life,” said Padilla. “These nurses not only risked their lives to care for me and so many others throughout this pandemic, they also gave me the comfort and strength I needed to beat COVID after 11 days on a ventilator. Being able to see these heroic nurses again and celebrate this award with them in person means so much to me, and I’m thrilled that they’re getting the recognition they deserve.”
At the ceremony, the nurses shared their vivid memories of the early days of the pandemic and how much they appreciated seeing their first COVID patient back on his feet and healthy again.
Padilla reflected on the compassion and professionalism that the 2 East nurses displayed while caring for him during the most uncertain and scary time of not only his own life but theirs as well. He was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to thank and congratulate the nurses and physicians who saved his life over two years ago.
“Our 2 East PCU is an incredibly close-knit team that cares deeply about our patients, their families, and for each other,” said Ashley Kauth, RN, BSN, CCRN at UC San Diego Health, who took care of Padilla during his hospital stay. “It is a rare opportunity to be able to celebrate our patients like Mr. Padilla and his recovery. We were overjoyed to see him doing so well. It was a moment I don’t think any of us will forget, and one that was healing for everybody involved.
“Being the COVID frontline team has been challenging on the entire 2 East team, so having a moment of recognition for all the hard work we have put in meant a lot to us. It was also a powerful reminder of the massive impact our care has on the lives of our patients. This is why we do what we do. I’m grateful to Mr. Padilla for allowing us the opportunity to have this moment of closure and clarity.”
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. The nonprofit DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he died from complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
