1st Quarter 2003 National and Division Heroes

National Heroes
RN Category: Lisa Tighue - Snapdragon Division, Cherry Hill (CH) Office, Cherry Hill, NJ
LPN Category: Susie Viah Pessima - Snapdragon Division, Lawrenceville (LAW) Office, Lawrenceville, NJ
HHA Category: Maria Valez - Sunflower Division, Union (UNI) Office, Union, NJ

Division Heroes

* denotes National Hero of the Quarter

Lisa Tighue, RN, has been employed with Bayada Nurses for about a year and most recently provided care to a gentleman with ALS. She arrived for her shift one day to learn that his battle with the disease was ending because he had decided to be removed from life support. Staff Supervisor Laraine Galuppi shares: "Knowing that he loved Hawaii, Lisa decided that a luau would be in order. She sent a family member to a party store with a long list of things to buy-everything from palm trees to a Hawaiian shirt for [her client] to wear. He was absolutely delighted." The client's family exclaimed about Lisa: "We have the utmost respect for your vocation and the gifts you share with the sick and needy. We slept more soundly knowing [the client] had you." The family also believed that the bond between Lisa and her client transcended professional ties-it was a bond called humanity.

Susie Viah Pessima, LPN, started working for Bayada Nurses more than 10 years ago as an aide, then as an adult nurse. After completing Bayada's Pediatric Education and Preceptor Program (PEPP) two years ago, she transitioned to pediatric care. Although Susie has trained with several children to increase her skills, Staff Supervisor Tess Kaminski says: "She is true to one man-a little boy with significant needs. Susie makes it possible for him to go to school and participate in outings, including a 12-hour excursion to Disney World. Susie keeps this little man with an infectious smile and big brown eyes, eyes that lovingly follow Susie around the room, even stretching to see her in the hall, happy." Surgery left Susie's client in a spica cast, which required Susie's special attention in order to prevent skin breakdown. This attention included several trips to the hospital for cast changes and check-ups-often with little prior notice. Tess adds: "The scramble to secure transportation was a nightmare regardless of having three hours or three weeks notice." To accommodate her client's needs, Susie often sacrificed personal convenience by picking up her child early from school and taking him to a sitter, where he would stay until she returned, sometimes after 9:00 p.m. Tess explains that Susie is a hero because she "couldn't do anything less than give more." Tess also feels the bond shared by Susie and her client is a "bond that many will never understand, and even many more would never want to experience."

Maria Valez is a CHHA who has worked for Bayada Nurses for nearly two years. Nursing Supervisor Laura Eppel says: "She has proven time and time again that she can make lemonade out of a basket of overripe lemons." One of Maria's clients had been discharged from other agencies due to a myriad of psychiatric issues. The client was a 350-pound, unkempt woman with a dirty apartment, known by the local police for complaints about her surly nature. Laura shared, "By the end of our tenure with this client, she was showering every day, eating a low-fat diet, and smiling and telling jokes with me. Maria redecorated the apartment for the client, cleaning every nook and cranny until it positively glistened. By example, Maria taught this woman respect for herself and others." Similar results were attained with a client who has Parkinson's disease, was severely depressed and who primarily speaks Cantonese. Although Maria's primary language is Spanish, Laura explains, "Somehow, the universal language of love and caring that Maria exhibits in her daily activities has brought this client out of her depression." Turning this client from "a woman unable to have a happy thought" to someone who "smiles during monthly visits and takes more of an active interest in daily care" is another testament to Maria's efforts, says Laura. Maria is known to spread smiles wherever she treads-including Bayada's Union office. Taking it upon herself to learn when all the staff birthdays are, she personally bakes each a special cake. Laura concludes by indicating Maria's "chutzpah and sparkle, caring nature and phenomenal sense of duty" are what distinguish her as a Bayada Nurses Hero on the Home Front.