An exceptional nurse at Vaughan Regional Medical Center was recently the first ever recipient of the Daisy Award in the hospital’s history.

The Daisy Award, while awarded at other hospitals, as never been awarded at Vaughan before.

That will soon change, Vaughan plans to recognize a nurse worthy of the Daisy Award each quarter from now on.

The Daisy Award was started by Mark Barnes in order to honor his late son Patrick.

In 1999, Patrick died due to Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). A new father of a two-month-old girl, Patrick only lived eight weeks after his diagnoses.

During those eight weeks though, Patrick and his family were given excellent care by his nurses, so Mark established the award to honor his son, and the caring nurses who took care of him.

The first nominees for the Daisy Award at Vaughan were Earline Sullivan, Mattie Knight, Steve Sansom and Jeb Jackson.

The nominees were only four of 50 nominations that the hospital received from the patients who felt they were exceptionally well cared for.

After reading each of the four nominees nomination letter, Jeb Jackson was declared the winner of the Daisy award.

“It means a lot,” said Jackson, his voice filled with emotion, “It puts a lot of emphasis on what I do and it makes me feel good about what I do as well.”

Chief Nursing Officer Tracy Merry said Jackson was more than deserving of the award.

“He gave excellent care to not only one patient, but to all of his patients,” said Merry. “He goes above and beyond and is always compassionate.”