When Humor and Conversation Transports You to Another Place

Joanne Downs, RN, is fun, bright and lively from the first hello. She has an adorable British accent. She was dressed in bright yellow multicolored outfit, which just brings a big smile to anyone. I thought it was so bright it may just scare the cancer right out of me. She was so talkative and funny, I forgot where I was and that I was getting my first chemo treatment. She explained everything in detail. Joanne shares her personal life with you with such humor and joy. She is a true bright shining light for anyone with an illness and who is in treatment. She makes you feel that it's all OK, you can do this with ease and you will survive. I welcome her positive cheeriness every time at Alliance Cancer Center in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Editor’s Note: This is an essay submitted by Chardele Miller for the 2021 Extraordinary Healer Award. Click here to read more about CURE®’s Extraordinary Healer® Award for Oncology Nursing event on April 30, 2021.

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