Nomination Letter
Written by the client's grandparents, Anna and Alan
It is my sincere pleasure to nominate Shane Baruta, RN, for the Best and Brightest Award.
I would like to share a story about our grandson Anthony and his nurse, Shane Baruta. Anthony is afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which has an occurrence of 1 in 3,500 live male births. However, we have found that 1 in a million is the chance resulting in the incredible bond between a child with Duchenne and an amazing, humble visiting nurse!
Our journey with Anthony has been full of endless doctor visits, clinic visits, hospital stays, ambulance rides, and even an unexpected need for Cal-Star (air ambulance), so we are very familiar with all levels of healthcare.
In August of 2023, Anthony began receiving weekly home infusions through BrightStar Care. He was filled with anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. We have had several nurses who would come to the house, but it wasn’t until Shane stepped in that things began to change. This began an unbelievable relationship which allowed Anthony to face some of his past trauma, come out of his shell, and truly engage.
Shane is an incredibly skilled nurse, and his personality and knowledge put our entire family at ease. Shane has gone the extra mile to understand Anthony’s naturally introverted personality and understand his world of anxiety and fear. Week after week, Shane was not just starting IV’s and charting vitals; he was really building trust.
Anthony is passionate about football, especially the San Francisco 49ers. Shane would come prepared to ask questions about how the Niners were doing, the stats on the players, and he even tried to watch the games so he could really relate to the passion Anthony has for this team. At Christmastime, Anthony received a gift from Shane: a 49ers flag! He was so surprised and excited that he almost cried. He said it was his favorite Christmas present and it is up on his bedroom wall.
Shane isn’t required to intertwine his personality, humor, and stories with Anthony, but he chooses to do just that. His actions and his expression of what we simply identify as love and compassion is a choice he made and continues to make every single time he shows up. We are all so extremely grateful for Shane’s selfless investment in Anthony’s day-to-day existence and what it means for his future, however long God ordains it to be. All of the interactions with Shane have meant so much to Anthony and he looks forward to his weekly infusions instead of dreading them.
Shane has gone far above what is expected, delivering a level of nursing care that has exceeded our expectations all while offering compassion and encouragement. We are forever grateful and amazed for this blessing. This care has been elevated even more through Shane’s exceptional skill and gentle approach, resulting in our grandson becoming less fearful and more confident. Anthony looks to Shane as the “best nurse ever,” considering him an advocate and friend. We do not take this lightly and it is our desire to nominate Shane Baruta for the Best and Brightest Award for his passionate, selfless devotion to the success of Anthony and all the other patients he impacts daily.