This incredible woman has gone above and beyond far too many times to count, helping and caring for my nano-preemie son. From the moment our son came into the NICU, she was a superhero. When he was a week or two old, she asked if I had gotten to change his diaper yet. I sighed and told her no. Seeing the disappointment in my face, she said, smiling under her mask, “We’re going to change that today.” That was the very first interaction I had with my son. She will never know how much I treasure that moment. ...And the treasured moments just kept on coming.
 
She was there when I held his hand for the first time, when I was able to hold him, skin to skin. She has taken countless pictures for me when I cannot hold the phone, and every time I ask, she’ll always reply, “I’m all about the pictures! You deserve to have these memories captured.” Any and every question I asked, she had an answer, and never got upset when I asked the same questions a million times. With each answer, she always gave us hope. Every other day, he would have a new handcrafted picture up by his bedside. There was one for Thanksgiving, Christmas, World Preemie Day, his first month, his first cuddles with me, Daddy’s first diaper change, and so so many more. She was sure to make us laugh every time we saw her, even when we didn’t feel like laughing. 

She truly helped us see a light at the end of the tunnel. That is something for which I cannot thank her enough. Our son is still in the NICU, and probably will be for some time, but I know as long as she is there, we will be okay. All of the NICU nurses have been absolutely wonderful, but she, especially, always goes above and beyond. I can see the love and compassion she has for her job and her tiny patients. It radiates off of her.