‘Just like Lynne did’

05/22/2025

Nursing student Gabi Diamond wins Lynne Cobb Parker Spirit of Excellence Award.

By Brett Buckner 

The first time Gabi Diamond met Brock Parker was by coincidence. The second time, it felt more like fate. This spring, when Diamond, a senior nursing student, won the Lynne Cobb Parker Spirit of Excellence award – named in honor of Brock Parker's late wife - there was no doubt that it was all meant to be.   

Their bond was formed last year at Mason's BBQ in Jacksonville, where Diamond was a waitress. She brought a drink to a customer's table and mentioned liking his Jax State nursing T-shirt. They started talking. Diamond learned that the man was Brock Parker, who was having a wing of the newly renovated School of Nursing dedicated to his late wife, Lynne Cobb Parker. "I left work that day thinking it was pretty cool that I got to learn the history behind the woman's name I will see every day going to class," said the 22-year-old Diamond, who graduated in May with a degree in nursing. "I thought to myself, 'I hope I am the kind of nurse that she was.'"  

Lynne Cobb Parker's 38-year career started as a member of Jax State's second graduating class of nurses. Her first job was at Anniston Memorial Hospital before she entered UAB's Master of Nursing program on a full scholarship. After gaining her advanced degree, she joined the staff at Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery as a floor nurse. She was promoted to assistant and then Director of Nursing, becoming the hospital's first female executive before retiring as CEO. She died in 2020. 

Later that summer, Diamond was working as a nursing student aide at Gadsden Regional Medical Center, floating between three different units, including the orthopedic floor. That was where she again ran into Brock Parker, who was visiting his sister following her total hip replacement surgery. Diamond was exhausted and burnt out from a tough semester, juggling three jobs and constantly moving between hospital shifts and waitressing.  

"I was running on empty," she said. "But meeting Brock again in that moment felt like more than a coincidence - it felt like God placing him in my path right when I needed reassurance the most." Brock didn't know Diamond was struggling. Yet his stories of Lynne's life and legacy came at the perfect time. "I felt a renewed sense of purpose," Diamond said. "His words reminded me why I chose this path. The way he spoke about his wife—with grace, pride, and such light in his eyes—left a lasting impression." Diamond left, hoping to one day make her family as proud as Lynne's family was of her. "That encounter gave me strength during a time I truly needed it," she said, "and it continues to inspire me to pursue a life of impact and service - just like Lynne did."  

Receiving the Lynne Cobb Parker Spirit of Excellence Award is proof that Diamond is making an impact. Voted on by the faculty and senior class, the award is given to a member of the graduating nursing class who demonstrated outstanding qualities of caring, compassion, commitment to excellence in patient care, and dedication to the highest esthetic qualities of nursing practice – attributes that describe Diamond.  

"She was diligent in the care she provided and set high standards for herself," said Dr. Betsy Gulledge, Chief Nursing Administrator of the School of Nursing/Associate Dean of the College of Health Professions and Wellness. "Graduating with a 4.0 in nursing school is extremely difficult, but also being a skilled and highly professional clinical student, as well, is rare. Gabi embodies everything we expect from a Jax State Nursing graduate: professionalism, caring, high standards, and a love for nursing." 

Diamond views winning this award as a way of carrying the mantle of Lynne's character, faith, compassion, and commitment to nursing. "After learning more about Lynne's life and legacy, and speaking with Brock Parker, I've come to understand how deeply she impacted those around her," Diamond said. "She's the kind of nurse I hope to be. Receiving an award in her name is both humbling and inspiring."  

‘Angels in scrubs’ 

A newborn gave Diamond’s life purpose.  

In 2016, Diamond's oldest sister, Morgan, was pregnant with a baby boy named Isaiah. Diamond was preparing to be an aunt for the first time. Before he was born, Isaiah was diagnosed with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). This condition occurs when the diaphragm fails to close during prenatal development, allowing abdominal organs to move into the chest cavity. CDH caused Isaiah's heart to shift, and his lungs could not develop properly.  

Isaiah was born on April 11, 2017, at UAB Hospital. "From the moment he entered the world," Diamond said, "he was a fighter. He was immediately intubated, placed on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and transferred to the NICU at Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham. At five days old, Isaiah underwent surgery to repair the hernia. "His journey was filled with both victories and setbacks," Diamond said. "He was extubated, only to be reintubated, and the pattern continued. Countless lines were placed. He needed dialysis to address complications from ECMO." Despite all he endured, there were moments of hope. "I remember the joy and awe I felt when I was finally able to hold him for the first time on June 11," Diamond said. "Even after everything, he smiled. That smile told me he still had fight in him." At that moment, Diamond knew she would one day be a nurse. 

Isaiah's condition worsened. On July 4, 2017, Diamond got the call that he was losing the fight. "That night, we said our final goodbyes," she said. "A day most Americans spent celebrating, we spent crying in heartbreak." Those NICU nurses who cared for Isaiah soon became part of the family. "They fought for him, cried with us, and filled his room with love and light," Diamond said. "They were angels in scrubs. I knew then that I wanted to bring that same compassion to others. "Now, every day I go to work, I like to believe Isaiah is watching over me. He is the reason I understand the heart of nursing." 

That experience taught Diamond more about nursing than any textbook. She witnessed firsthand the strength required to care for critically ill patients and the emotional toll it takes on their families. She also saw the impact that nurses make when healing isn't possible. "They weren't just medical professionals," she said. "They were advocates, listeners, comforters, and a steady presence during chaos. I realized that nursing is about more than performing tasks; it's about being present in the most vulnerable moments of a person's life." 

Diamond will now pursue a career as an ICU nurse, dedicating herself to serving others in their greatest time of need. "I love being present in those critical moments - supporting families, advocating for patients, and participating in the highly collaborative, fast-paced care that defines critical care nursing," she said. "The ICU challenges me intellectually and emotionally, and I've found it to be where I feel most fulfilled."