January 2026
Elena
Flynn
,
RN
KOP ICU Unit
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
King Of Prussia
,
PA
United States
Elena was incredibly knowledgeable, thorough, and empathetic in her care for both our son in his critical state in the NICU, and for his scared first-time parents.
During her shifts, she spoke with us often and included us in his care. By changing a diaper or dressing him in a onesie, it brought us comfort to care for him in familiar ways. She calmly answered our questions after rounds and patiently explained the details of his treatment.
There are many examples of how Elena helped to make the situation feel less intimidating. After a couple of days of treatment, his breathing was not improving, and we were absolutely distraught.
It was on our third day in the NICU that Elena did something for us that we will never forget. On this morning, the doctors ordered an echocardiogram to check for potential reasons holding him back from healing. The excruciating waiting game for the test results began.
My husband briefly stepped out of the room to get us coffee, only a few minutes before the doctor came by our room and shared the results of his echocardiogram. Initially, I heard the news alone. The doctor shared that our baby had a coarctation of the aorta and will need to be transferred to CHOP in Philadelphia for surgery.
In that moment, I froze in shock and panic. That's when Elena swooped in and advocated for my family when I couldn't. She calmly asked the doctor to pause before continuing, and turned to me, advising that I call my husband to have him come back to hear the diagnosis. He was just down the hallway and came back quickly.
He and I then heard the news parents never want to hear about their baby, that he will need heart surgery. This moment may have been brief, but time stood still hearing the diagnosis about our son's heart defect.
The memory will forever be seared in my mind, but so will Elena's compassion. After getting to know my husband and I for only a couple of days, she keenly understood that we needed to hear this news together, and thoughtfully stepped in.
Her exceptional care for our son, combined with her initiative to advocate for our family, is incredibly deserving of recognition and our sincerest gratitude.
During her shifts, she spoke with us often and included us in his care. By changing a diaper or dressing him in a onesie, it brought us comfort to care for him in familiar ways. She calmly answered our questions after rounds and patiently explained the details of his treatment.
There are many examples of how Elena helped to make the situation feel less intimidating. After a couple of days of treatment, his breathing was not improving, and we were absolutely distraught.
It was on our third day in the NICU that Elena did something for us that we will never forget. On this morning, the doctors ordered an echocardiogram to check for potential reasons holding him back from healing. The excruciating waiting game for the test results began.
My husband briefly stepped out of the room to get us coffee, only a few minutes before the doctor came by our room and shared the results of his echocardiogram. Initially, I heard the news alone. The doctor shared that our baby had a coarctation of the aorta and will need to be transferred to CHOP in Philadelphia for surgery.
In that moment, I froze in shock and panic. That's when Elena swooped in and advocated for my family when I couldn't. She calmly asked the doctor to pause before continuing, and turned to me, advising that I call my husband to have him come back to hear the diagnosis. He was just down the hallway and came back quickly.
He and I then heard the news parents never want to hear about their baby, that he will need heart surgery. This moment may have been brief, but time stood still hearing the diagnosis about our son's heart defect.
The memory will forever be seared in my mind, but so will Elena's compassion. After getting to know my husband and I for only a couple of days, she keenly understood that we needed to hear this news together, and thoughtfully stepped in.
Her exceptional care for our son, combined with her initiative to advocate for our family, is incredibly deserving of recognition and our sincerest gratitude.