About the DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation was established in 2000 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 of complications of the auto-immune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP). (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system.) During Pat's eight-week hospitalization, his family was awestruck by the care and compassion his nurses provided not only to Pat, but to everyone in his family. One of the goals they set in creating a foundation in Pat’s memory was to recognize nurses everywhere who make a difference in the lives of so many people by the extraordinary work they do everyday.
Each DAISY Award honoree is recognized at a public ceremony in her/his unit and receives a beautiful certificate and a DAISY Award pin. Additionally, everyone in the unit will celebrate with cinnamon rolls – a favorite of Patrick's during his illness.
The Barnes family asks that whenever and wherever nurses smell that wonderful cinnamon aroma, they stop for a moment and think about how special they are.