“Once I started nursing school, I knew I had found my life’s work,” says Senior Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator Becca Davis. Even from a young age, Becca felt drawn to the nursing field. “My earliest memories are of when I was 4 or 5. My mom suffered from chronic migraines. I would bring her water, crackers, and cold wash cloths to make sure she was comfortable,” says Becca.
Shortly after completing nursing school, Becca began her career at Nemours Children’s Health in Pensacola. She had visited Nemours as a student and knew it was on the top of her list of future employment goals. “I love our mission to make sure that no child goes without being taken care of,” says Becca. “The culture of compassion we have drives me to show up every day and give my best efforts for the children in our region.”
While she moved to the research department in the endocrinology clinic, Becca met fellow nurse Dannah McCormick. The pair became fast friends. With one of their coworkers, Holly, away on maternity leave, Becca and Dannah ended up spending many days just the two of them. “Dannah was the type of person you could talk to about anything,” says Becca. “I often found myself in her office asking her for both personal and professional advice. It did not take long for us to bond.”
On April 25, 2018, Dannah passed away in a tragic automobile accident. While stopping on the side of the road to check on people involved in a crash, she was struck by a passing car. Dannah died fulfilling her calling and passion to serve others.
“Our 3 o’clock coffee time is something I still have,” Becca shares. “She had read a research article that said 3 o’clock was the best time to have caffeine so we decided we needed to meet at the coffee maker for our daily coffee chats. Holly, who doesn’t like coffee, would even join in.”
“We had also started a tradition after Easter,” says Becca. “Dannah and I would go to all of the local stores during our lunch break to get the clearance Easter eggs for her church’s community Easter egg hunt. We would show up at the register with thousands of eggs. We would have so much fun looking for great deals every year.”
“After Dannah passed, Holly and I knew we needed to honor her memory and the memories we had of her at Easter,” explains Becca. “We had been able to get some of the Easter eggs she collected so we decided to make treats for the children we saw in the clinics before easter. Each year, I have made adjustments and tried to grow the project bigger. Something Dannah was famous for, everything she did got bigger and better the next time she did it. This year, I decided to reach out to my coworkers in Jacksonville and Pensacola and we had so many who graciously gave to this project. We were able to donate 15 baskets to HCA Florida West for the nurses to give away to their patients on Easter. In true Dannah fashion, I went out the week after Easter and grabbed baskets for next year!” “Dannah was not just an amazing coworker and friend,” says Becca. “She was an amazing nurse, wife, mother, sister, and daughter. She taught me a lot about life during our time together and gave me advice that I have taken into my nursing career, marriage, and motherhood. She’s not with us anymore, but she left a legacy that will live on through the hearts of others for years to come.”
