I was admitted to the hospital for induction by my homebirth midwife. I was very scared to be put on Pitocin. Alyssa was my nurse, and I immediately connected with her. She made me feel safe, comfortable, and heard. My wish was to have a natural birth, and Alyssa went above and beyond to make sure my wants and needs were met. I had been laboring for days on and off and was facing extreme fatigue. Alyssa made sure I had everything I needed, and she made sure I was as comfortable as I could be. After trying a natural birth and not progressing, I had to have a c-section. This was a very emotional and scary thing for me. It was everything I didn’t want for my first birth. Alyssa was my nurse during this surgery and after! I felt safe knowing she was in the room with us, despite my emotional state at the time. I knew she would make sure the rest of my wishes for the delivery of baby would be met. I’m nominating Alyssa because she went above and beyond for me. I truly wouldn’t have made it across the birthing marathon line without her support, presence, and compassion. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.