MELBOURNE, Fla. — Over the past year, our world has seen how healthcare professionals have stepped up and gone above and beyond to care for their patients, often being the main source of companionship and care when policies limited visitation due to COVID protocols. In Brevard County, Danielle Wilson is one of those nurses and she was recently selected as the quarterly Heart of a Hero recipient from Brevard Heart Foundation.
“Danielle’s dedication, compassion and selflessness for ICU COVID-19 patients is a true example of having the “Heart of a Hero”, states Tara Bailey, who nominated Wilson. “Danielle has held the hands of COVID patients as they have taken their last breaths, bringing comfort to them as loved ones were unable to be present to say their goodbye’s, all while also providing words of comfort and kindness to the family members in those final moments. She is a nurse who lives out her profession with the needs of her fellow community members being first, regardless of how exhausted, drained, hungry and sad she may feel.”
Wilson has shown her dedication to Brevard residents throughout her time as a nurse at Palm Bay Community Hospital before recently transferring to the pre-surgery department at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. Wilson is also in the process of earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) along with managing a busy work schedule.
Beginning earlier this year, Brevard Heart Foundation created their Heart of a Hero campaign to recognize and honor the local heroes within our healthcare system. “Our objective is to celebrate the outstanding impact of these medical professionals as identified by those who have nominated them,” shares Travis Proctor, President of Brevard Heart Foundation. “The story shared on behalf of Ms. Wilson highlights how she, like many of our healthcare professionals, truly makes a difference in the lives of many Brevard County residents in their time of need.”
Using the online nomination form on the Foundation’s website, locals are invited to share their story of a healthcare professional that made a difference in their life or the life of someone close to them. Nominations are reviewed quarterly and the winner is celebrated on the Foundation’s social media pages, as well as receives a gift card to a local restaurant. If you’d like to nominate a healthcare professional, more information and the nomination form can be found at www.brevardheartfoundation.org/heartofahero.