Jessica is not only a nurse, but also a true hero, a lifesaver. We will never forget her and what she did for our family that night. My wife was incredibly nauseous, shaky, and dizzy after her C-section, and she was having a hard time recovering, vomiting often, and not able to really drink or eat anything. Jessica had to take care of my wife and our daughter on our first night together, and it was no small task. Caring for a newborn is hard enough, but Jessica also had to attend to my wife, who was not doing well at all. Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up to the sounds of Jessica forcibly patting my daughter's back and then yelling out of our room, “I need some help in here!” and while holding my daughter in her arms she began sprinting out the door telling the other nurses “help mom, help mom!”

While Jessica was taking care of my wife, she noticed our daughter was choking and was turning purple. Had Jessica not acted quickly, calmly, and decisively, I believe our future would look very differently as a family. I could hear the fear, the urgency, in Jessica’s voice, as she called to the nurses. Lying there on that couch, praying for our daughter, for Jessica, for my wife, I couldn’t help but think the worst. I couldn’t tell you how long it was before Jessica came back in and said our daughter was okay, but it felt like days. There are so many what ifs that run through my mind about that night, but then I return and I am overwhelmed by gratitude for Jessica and her actions. Jessica is a hero, and I can’t wait to tell our daughter about her and how she saved her life. I believe many nurses go into the profession to make an impact, a difference, and Jessica never should question again if she made a difference or had an impact. I could never repay Jessica for what she did for us or even explain how much she means to our family, but this DAISY award would be a small way to tell her thank you. She deserves it, and more, so please honor and recognize her.