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Bonnie and Mark Barnes were retired, growing wine grapes in Sonoma, when Mark’s son Patrick developed the auto-immune disease ITP in late 1999. Upon Patrick’s death following an 8-week illness, they established The DAISY Foundation in gratitude for the nurses’ care they and Patrick’s wife Tena experienced when he was in the hospital. Bonnie and Mark were especially touched by the compassion with which Patrick’s nurses cared for him and their family. So, they created The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses to provide meaningful recognition to compassionate nurses like those who cared for their family. Today, 25 years later, The DAISY Award is celebrated in over 7,500 healthcare facilities and nursing schools internationally with 260,000 Honorees and 3.5 million nominations. DAISY’s impact is well-documented, contributing to a healthy work environment, nurse engagement, and the patient/family experience. Bonnie and Mark are passionate about honoring nurses throughout the year, no matter where they practice, in whatever role they serve, throughout their careers from Nursing Student through Lifetime Achievement. Additionally, the foundation has a robust grant program. To date, over $900,000 has been given to nurses through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and their Medical Mission Grant program for DAISY Honorees. Their journey with nurses is described in their book, Shining the Light on All the Right: Celebrating the Art of Nursing Around the World.
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