Having stayed at another NICU for three days before, we were immediately transferred to Children's. As first-time parents, the entire situation was beyond terrifying for my husband and me. Krissi was the first nurse we had and set the tone for everyone else we would encounter.

Krissi went above and beyond to make sure our needs were being met. She listened with her whole body, assured us everything would be okay, and that I did nothing wrong. She was beyond compassionate and empathetic. Never once did I feel like I needed to be a stronger advocate for my child because Krissi was naturally doing that.

When I felt guilty for going home, she reminded me time and time again that I needed to take care of myself, too. She assured me over and over again that she would snuggle and love on my baby when I couldn't, because we were going home. During our visit to Children's, we constantly wanted Krissi to be our nurse because she quickly became family to us.

She involved my husband in all of the care items (diapering, cleaning parts, etc.) and made him feel important. Oftentimes, dads get forgotten about and or are put on the back burner because they can't nurse as mothers can. Krissi made him feel important and involved him in everything.

Being in the NICU and not knowing what's going on with your baby, Krissi constantly poured into us and talked to us about everyday life, making us feel like regular people and not people in crisis. Krissi was always positive, reminding me how great my baby was doing when I felt unsteady or worried.

Krissi is beyond deserving of this award because she's reaching everything and more when it comes to her job. She isn't someone who does just the bare minimum, she reaches her families by being herself - compassionate, empathetic, passionate and fiercely heartfelt.