I went to the hospital 6 days after giving birth to my first baby. I was scared and very anxious to be away from my newborn. I never anticipated being separated from her so early on. My biggest anxiety was that I was breastfeeding her, and since she was less than a week old, I hadn't even started to learn how to pump. I had absolutely no milk stored up for her. Before coming to the hospital, I sterilized and packed my pump supplies, thinking in desperation that I would try to pump for the first time at the hospital. When Chanse walked in, I had all the supplies out, trying to figure out how they worked, and she immediately sensed that I was a new mother, completely overwhelmed. She told me that my husband could come to the hospital with my baby, and she would help coordinate my exams around my baby's feeding schedule. She then immediately called CT and postponed my exam so that I could get to my baby and nurse her. I can't express how much this meant to me. I was so worried about leaving my newborn behind that I could barely focus on anything else going on. I couldn't focus on my own needs because I was so caught up in hers.

Later on, there came a point where there was pushback on how I could continue feeding my child, and Chanse, after hearing the situation, immediately came to my defense. I could hear her advocating for me from my room. At this point, I had been weeping off and on for hours (probably a combination of extreme fatigue, hormones, and anxiety). Knowing that there was someone on my side who was willing to put her neck out for me helped calm me.

Chanse did not just care for me as a patient; she cared for my entire family during my hospital stay. When my husband came to the hospital, she took time to tell him that he was doing a good job being a dad. Words I am sure he needed to hear. We are both new parents, feeling completely overwhelmed and exhausted. She also took it upon herself to protect and care for my newborn baby. She reminded me to sanitize my hands before feeding her, so hopefully I would not expose my baby to any of the germs from the hospital. And most importantly, she, through her efforts, ensured that a tiny, vulnerable child was fed.

I am also a nurse, so I know how busy shifts can be, and judging from what I saw going on that night, Chanse did not have an easy shift. Despite this, she still took time to care not only for my physical needs, but also for my emotional needs. She shared personal stories, which made me feel like I was not alone in the trial I was facing, and she took time to comfort me. Nurses are often seen as people who take care of the body--physical ailments alone. But I believe that to be a true nurse, a nurse who has fully embraced the title, is someone who cares for the whole person--body and mind. Chanse is a true nurse.