Sarah Wall

Sarah was like an angel sent straight down from heaven just for me. She was loud and energetic in the best possible way, chatting animatedly about tv shows and music and anything other than the surgery getting closer by the minute. In those moments, she was the perfect distraction, the perfect support, the perfect friend. She made sure that my husband and I had a moment for a hug and kiss before we had to part ways and she put her arm around me to escort me the final few feet.

In the OR, she held me while the anesthesiologist worked behind me. She held me the way a mother holds a child, or a person holds a best friend. She soothed me and encouraged me, telling me how brave I was even as I gripped her hand and she wiped my tears away. They are moments I will never forget as long as I live.

For all that she did and all that she is, Sarah Wall deserves every award and recognition in existence. She saved me, and I'll be grateful to her for my entire life.