Janesville nurse brings comfort, compassion to abuse survivors through handmade blankets
JANESVILLE, Wis. — A Wisconsin nurse is transforming pain into healing with a heartfelt blend of clinical care and community compassion.
Jamie Counsell, a sexual assault nurse examiner at Mercyhealth in Janesville, has spent over a decade providing critical medical and emotional support to survivors of sexual assault.
Her role involves walking patients through the difficult process of evidence collection — but her impact extends far beyond the exam room.
“When you’re going to sit with a victim and you want them to trust you, you have to sit down, let them talk, and believe what they’re saying,” Counsell said. “You leave all your judgments aside.”
During these sensitive exams, Counsell introduces a unique touch: soft, handmade blankets from her community-led initiative called Blanket Buddies.
The blankets are designed to provide physical comfort and emotional reassurance and are given to survivors at the beginning of their visit.
“In the hospital, Kleenex isn’t soft. Neither are bed sheets,” she said. “These blankets go a long way. I usually give them to people first.”
The idea stems from both empathy and experience. Before becoming a nurse, Counsell herself was a survivor of abuse.
“I didn’t trust any of the systems around me,” she shared.
That personal history now fuels her mission to make sure every victim feels safe, supported, and seen.
Counsell’s advocacy doesn’t stop at the hospital doors. Twice a year, she leads training sessions for cadets at Blackhawk Technical College’s police academy. Her sessions are aimed at helping future officers learn how to respond to survivors with empathy and care.
“If someone is coming forward, they either want something done, or they just want someone to listen,” said Counsell.
Her work has had a lasting impact on the local law enforcement community, like police instructor Steven Christensen, who praised her efforts.
“Jamie is such a blessing. It’s almost like a symbiotic relationship — we need her, and she needs us,” said Christensen.
Christensen recalls a time when officers kept soft, plush animals in their patrol cars to comfort children at traumatic scenes. He sees Counsell’s work with Blanket Buddies as a continuation of that same spirit — giving something warm and reassuring to hold on to during moments of trauma.
“She’s always transitioning to be a better person in her community,” Christensen added about her heroic effort, and one he has personally donated to help it grow.
Visit Blanket Buddies on Facebook to learn how you can donate or get involved.