Nursing Student Named BrightStar Midwest Caregiver of the Year

GLEN ELLYN, Ill., Nov. 28, 2016 -- College of DuPage Nursing student Elsa Salguero of Hanover Park has been named Midwest Region Caregiver of the Year by BrightStar Care.

College of DuPage Nursing student Elsa Salguero of Hanover Park has been named Midwest Region Caregiver of the Year by BrightStar Care.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fcb2245e-6395-4933-931b-170524b164d9

Salguero, who completed the Basic Nursing Assistant training program and is currently pursuing her Associate Degree in Nursing at COD, was recognized by the national home health agency as one of only four regional recipients. Click here for more information.

Clients around the country submit thousands of nominations for the annual recognition. Salguero’s nomination came from a client’s wife, who described how Salguero cared for her husband after a severe stroke left him unable to speak, in addition to other challenges. The wife said her husband beamed when Salguero came by and that they “became fast friends and developed their own communication system.” After he passed, Salguero continued to support the wife. 

“I knew about the nomination but had no idea that she had written such an amazing letter,” Salguero said. “Then I received a call from BrightStar asking me to come in for an interview along with the client who nominated me. I said OK and didn’t think much of it. But then I opened the doors to the conference room and saw my parents, my brother and my grandmother, and I started crying. The owner of BrightStar in Wheaton came forward and told me I was the winner of the Midwest Region award. It meant so much to me.”

Click here to watch an ABC7 Chicago segment on the surprise announcement.

Salguero always wanted to pursue a health care career. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a surgeon and would watch the TV show “Trauma: Life in the ER” with her dad.

“When my brother was 8, he fell down the stairs. I was able to stop the bleeding because I always watched the show,” she said. “While we were with him in the ER, I was fascinated by the doctors and nurses.”

Click here to read more.

Press contact: Joe Moore, Vice President for Marketing and Communications, (630) 942-2371.