PICU nurse wins coveted ‘Moment of Magic’ prize at the BWC Spirit Awards | News

PICU nurse wins coveted ‘Moment of Magic’ prize at the BWC Spirit Awards

Danielle holding her award A nurse who works in our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) won the coveted ‘Moment of Magic’ award at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundations Trust’s annual award ceremony, the BWC Spirit Awards. Danielle Dillon took home the prize after receiving a heartfelt nomination from a family while their daughter was being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. 

The awards, which took place earlier this month (Friday 15 October), recognise the members of staff who go the extra mile to make BWC the best place to be cared for and to work. Perhaps the most sought-after is the ‘Moment of Magic’ award, which was nominated by families and the winner was chosen by a public vote. After 2000 votes were counted, Danielle, who works in the Children's Hospital's PICU department, took home the prestigious prize. 

She was nominated by mum and dad, Sarah Heritage and David Brazier, from Norton Canes, near Cannock, who wanted to recognise the special place she now has in their hearts after playing such a huge part in the care and journey of their daughter, Bonnie-Rae, who sadly died earlier this year. 

Sarah said: "Danielle was just absolutely amazing from the first day that we met her. She was so comforting; she asked her how we were and if there was anything she could do for us. She decorated our bed space and tried to make it as homely as it could be. She was just a ray of light in the dark." 

"Danielle offered to come in when it was Bonnie-Rae's surgery day and promised to look after her, and I think as parents, that's the extra thing that you need. She means so much to us and truly deserves this award." 

Emotions ran high when Danielle was announced as the winner as she was able to speak directly with Sarah and David via a video link-up. She said: "I was overcome with emotion. Hearing this family talk about how much my work meant to them was more than you could ever ask for as a nurse. There aren't enough words to say thank you." 

It was a record-breaking year with more than 600 nominations received, 159 shortlisted and 40 finalists for a special sparkling virtual awards ceremony made possible by the Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital Charity. 

Staff were celebrated in 16 categories including Unsung Hero, Most Inspiring Colleague, Outstanding Clinical Team and the special Lifetime Achievement award, which was awarded to Dr Jim Gray, Consultant Microbiologist. It recognised the huge contribution of Dr Gray, who has been part of BWC for more than 25 years, improving things for women, children, families and staff, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr Gray, who was surprised with his award by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Chairman of Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said: "I still feel a sense of shock. Hearing what all those who nominated me had to say made me feel very proud. There are so many amazing people who could have been nominated, so it's a real privilege." 

Reflecting on an inspirational evening Chief Executive, Sarah-Jane Marsh, said: "Everybody has come together and played their role. Every single person across our organisation pulled together for each other and made a tremendous difference to this organisation. 

"We talk about our values of being Ambitious, Brave and Compassionate – we have seen them in every person every day in the last 18 months." 

Mark Brider, CEO of the Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital Charity, said: "The charity is once again delighted to have sponsored our BWC Spirit Awards, which celebrate the truly outstanding achievements of our incredible colleagues around the Trust. A massive congratulations and well done to all of the nominees and winners." 

Regular donations to our charity are essential in supporting our incredible staff and patients and giving our colleagues the recognition they deserve on nights such as this. If you'd like to donate or find out more information, visit our charity's website. 

All of the #BWCSpiritAwards21 winner's videos, including Moment of Magic and Lifetime Achievement, can be found on the BWC YouTube Channel. It also includes a highlights reel from the celebrations, which can be seen by clicking below.

Highlights video

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