07/15/2026
We cannot say enough good things about our friend Kate! She is simply the best!
We are so honored that we get to come and chat with the postpartum Mamas at her lactation group and share space with such an amazing human!
Kate, congratulations! So well deserved!
La Crosse Mom Baby Support Group
Congratulations to Katie A., a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, who was nominated and received The DAISY Award. Read an excerpt from the nomination.
“We first met Kate during a lactation appointment, and from the moment she entered the room, her calm confidence and deep knowledge immediately put us at ease. She made it clear that her priority was supporting us in feeding our baby in whatever way worked best for our family—something that instantly lifted a tremendous amount of pressure. But what Kate offered us went far beyond lactation support.
Just before that appointment, we had learned we might need a C-section. We were scared, overwhelmed and struggling to process the possibility that our daughter’s birth might look very different from what we had imagined. Kate didn’t rush us or treat our fear as a side note. Instead, she took the time to truly sit with us in that moment. She patiently helped us understand what to expect and walked us through the small but deeply meaningful details of the operating room—things no one else had explained. She shared that I would be allowed to go to the warmer, encouraged us to advocate for more skin-to-skin time and explained the flow of the OR, the roles of the team members and the moments that can easily be lost in the chaos. Her clarity and steadiness left us feeling more prepared for whatever might come.
When the day arrived and we did end up needing the C-section, everything happened quickly. In the rush of it all, no one told me I could go to the warmer—but because of Kate, I knew to ask. And because I asked, I was able to be there as our baby girl took her very first breaths. I was able to speak to her with the voice she had known in the womb. I was able to hold her on my chest as she received her first shots. Those moments are now some of the most precious memories of my life.
Kate’s guidance didn’t just prepare us medically—it prepared us emotionally. She gave us the knowledge and confidence to advocate for ourselves at a time when it would have been easy to feel powerless. She made something terrifying feel navigable and gave us the gift of being fully present for our daughter’s earliest moments, a gift we will carry with us forever.
Our family will never forget Kate’s compassion, her steadiness, and the way she cared for us not just as patients, but as brand-new parents facing the unknown."
Mayo Clinic Health System is among over 5,000 healthcare organizations worldwide committed to the DAISY Award program. The DAISY Award is presented each month to an extraordinary nurse. Learn more about the DAISY Award or nominate a registered nurse https://mayocl.in/3SuygDO
Interested in a nursing career at Mayo Clinic Health System? https://mayocl.in/3OGI2C2
