Congratulations to Sarabeth Thomas, RN for receiving the Daisy Award!
Celebrating Sarahbeth Thomas, RN
A DAISY Award Honoree Who Made a Difference When It Mattered Most
There are simply no words to adequately express how grateful our family is for the exceptional care our dad received from the physicians, nurses, and entire care team during his unexpected stay.
Dad came to the hospital for what was expected to be a routine Watchman procedure with Dr. Jason Foerst on Thursday, February 5. Instead, our family found ourselves facing a terrifying and unexpected medical crisis.
During the correct placement of the device, a tine tore one of Dad’s extremely thin, “tissue-paper-like” heart tissues. Blood began gathering around his heart, causing his blood pressure to drop dangerously low and remain there. Dr. Foerst and his team immediately intervened, placing a drain tube in an effort to stabilize him. Unfortunately, Dad developed additional complications and was admitted to the CCU at Roanoke Memorial Hospital, room 9006.
He required medications to maintain his blood pressure, a breathing tube, continuous dialysis, and numerous other interventions. His prognosis was so concerning that a chaplain was called to support our family on the morning of Friday, February 6.
That was the day our family was placed in the care of an amazing team.
And among that exceptional team, one nurse stood out in a way we will never forget: Sarahbeth Thomas.
We would like to celebrate Sarahbeth for the extraordinary compassion, knowledge, dedication, and humanity she demonstrated during some of the most frightening hours our family has ever experienced.
When we were finally allowed to see Dad, we were overwhelmed by the sight of his room filled with machines, tubes, monitors, and equipment. It was frightening and unfamiliar.
But then there was Sarahbeth.
Her calm, gentle presence immediately changed the atmosphere in the room. Quiet, easy-listening music was playing, creating a peaceful environment amid all the medical equipment. She had thoughtfully asked whether we were comfortable with the music. We told her it could not have been more perfect. Dad loved music, and hearing it brought comfort to both him and our family.
Sarahbeth was not simply caring for Dad—she was caring for all of us.
She worked tirelessly and diligently, continuously checking and adjusting the many machines supporting Dad as his body fought to stabilize. Her knowledge and expertise were evident in everything she did. Yet what impressed us most was her ability to explain incredibly complex medical circumstances in a way that our frightened family could understand.
She described her work as a “dance with numbers.”
When one number changed, something else had to be adjusted. She moved continuously around the room—checking monitors, making adjustments, recording information, repositioning Dad, and carefully watching every change in his condition.
It truly was a medical dance.
And Sarahbeth never missed a step.
She remained completely focused on Dad's physical needs while also remaining attentive to our emotional needs. Whenever we had a question, she answered it clearly and honestly. She never made us feel like we were asking too much or taking her away from something more important.
When we asked why Dad needed certain machines, she explained that the machines were performing functions his body could not safely manage at that moment. By allowing the machines to do that work, she explained, Dad's body could rest and focus its energy on healing.
That simple explanation gave us something incredibly valuable during those terrifying hours: understanding and hope.
Sarahbeth gave Dad her full attention during some of his most critical hours. And even after she was assigned to other patients, she continued to check on Dad and follow his progress. She never stopped caring.
On Friday afternoon, before her shift ended, we asked what she believed the next steps would be. She explained that the goal through the night and weekend was simply to “maintain where he was for a while.” She told us that his body would let the team know when it was ready for the next adjustment.
Those words stayed with us.
She understood that healing does not always happen through dramatic moments. Sometimes healing means carefully watching, patiently waiting, making the right adjustment at exactly the right time, and trusting the body to tell you what it needs.
That is exactly what she did.
Throughout Dad's 12-day stay in the CCU, we remained amazed by Sarahbeth's knowledge, dedication, compassion, and professionalism. She not only cared for Dad's physical well-being, but also cared for his emotional dignity and for the well-being of his family.
Even when Dad eventually qualified for inpatient rehabilitation at Community Hospital, Sarahbeth took the time to explain what that process would look like and what our family could expect.
She continued to educate us, reassure us, and prepare us for the next step.
Sarahbeth embodied what nursing is meant to be.
Nursing is the integration of the art and science of caring—the protection and promotion of health, the facilitation of healing, the alleviation of suffering, and the compassionate presence offered to patients and their families.
Sarahbeth Thomas lived every part of that definition.
She was knowledgeable without being intimidating.
She was honest without taking away hope.
She was compassionate without losing focus.
She was professional while remaining deeply human.
Most importantly, she saw Dad—not just the numbers on the monitors.
Our family will always remember the calm presence of Sarahbeth in that room when everything felt anything but calm.
We will always remember her “dance with numbers.”
We will remember the music playing softly in the background.
We will remember the way she explained complicated medical information so that we could understand.
We will remember how she continued to check on Dad even when he was no longer her assigned patient.
And we will always remember how she helped our family find hope during a time when we were afraid we might lose him.
Our family would also like to recognize the many other exceptional caregivers who helped Dad along his journey, including Darrin, Bethany, Cole, Charlie, and Melissa, as well as Dr. Foerst and the entire medical team.
Each of them played an important role in helping Dad return to a life of greater health and quality.
But Sarahbeth stood out.
As our stepmother said so perfectly:
“Sarahbeth was a number one nurse!”
We could not agree more.
Sarahbeth is an extraordinary asset to the Critical Care Unit. Her patients are blessed to have her, and our family will forever be grateful that she was Dad's nurse when he needed someone like her most.
She gave him expert care.
She gave us understanding.
She gave us compassion.
And, during some of the darkest hours of our lives, she gave us hope.
For all of these reasons, we are honored to celebrate Sarahbeth Thomas as a most deserving DAISY Award recipient.
Thank you, Sarahbeth, for being the kind of nurse families never forget.
