A pat on the back feels so good. Great job, everyone!
Eric Thomas Memorial Award Nurse of the Year
Eric Thomas spent 42 remarkable years proving that medical challenges do not define a person's life. Requiring full-time ventilator support from just two hours after birth until his passing at age 42, Eric lived each day with resilience, determination, and an unforgettable sense of humor.
Eric's mother, Chrissy Thomas, refused to let his complex medical needs separate him from his family or home. Driven by that vision, she founded Oregon's first nonprofit nursing agency dedicated to providing in-home care for medically fragile infants, children, and young adults. That pioneering organization grew into the Nursingale we know today.
As Nursingale's very first client, Eric helped shape our mission from the beginning. He attended school, graduated from high school, cheered for his favorite sports teams, enjoyed video games, and kept everyone around him laughing with his quick wit and wicked sense of humor. Through the support of in-home nursing care, Eric lived a full, meaningful, and connected life surrounded by family.
Following his passing, the Eric Thomas Trust made a generous gift to help Nursingale continue serving clients and families. Eric's life embodied the very purpose of our mission: helping medically fragile individuals thrive at home while pursuing lives filled with opportunity, joy, and connection. For that reason, we proudly present our annual Nurse of the Year award in his honor. His legacy continues to inspire the nurses who make that mission possible every day.
Jan McWayne Heart of Gold Award
In September 2025, we lost an extraordinary nurse, mentor, and friend. Jan McWayne was truly one of a kind. She brought grit, wisdom, humor, and compassion to everything she did.
Jan helped build Nursingale from its earliest days as a nonprofit organization in 2005. After a distinguished career in the NICU, she chose to bring her talents to home care and joined the Nursingale team. She cared for our late founder's medically fragile child, bringing the client home from the hospital and becoming "Nurse Jan" for the rest of the client's life. She continued providing care well into the client's adulthood. Few nurses experience a relationship that spans an entire lifetime, and Jan's dedication, loyalty, and character made that rare bond possible.
Jan brought warmth and joy wherever she went. She made people feel cared for, valued, and understood. Clients, families, and colleagues loved and respected her. She left a lasting impact on every person fortunate enough to know her.
We established the Jan McWayne Heart of Gold Award to honor her legacy and recognize individuals who demonstrate the same compassion, dedication, kindness, and servant-hearted spirit that defined Jan's life and career. Her example continues to inspire us. Her heart of gold remains an enduring part of Nursingale's story.
