Lilianna L Scionti
June 2025
Lilianna L
Scionti
,
BSN
NICU
Tampa General Hospital
Tampa
,
FL
United States
She surprised me just ahead of Mother’s Day with a card she’d handmade using prints of my son’s feet.
The first two weeks of my son’s life were easily the most emotionally taxing and terrifying period I have ever experienced after he was admitted to the NICU from the ER. As stressful as this was, our NICU journey also brought several incredibly kind, skilled, and amazing people into our lives to help care for our son (and us). One nurse went beyond for our family, and I could not think of someone who embodies the spirit of the DAISY Award better than nurse Lili Scionti.
From the very first night I spent in the NICU with my son, Lili gracefully stepped into a dual caregiving role for both baby and mommy. I have never been more afraid in my life than I was during our first few NICU days as our son was strapped to various monitors, a feeding tube, and an IV. Lili took her time with me when I struggled to get out sentences through tears and made sure all my questions were answered and that I understood everything that was going on. She spent extra time with me, teaching me her techniques for caring for my son, helping to build my confidence at a time when I felt it had been completely shattered.
Lili not only made sure my son was fed, changed, and warm, but also took extra steps to look after me to ensure I felt comfortable and capable of handling his needs.
I was so touched throughout my son’s stay by the depth of Lili’s compassion for her patients and their parents. She surprised me just ahead of Mother’s Day with a card she’d handmade using prints of my son’s feet. I later learned she came early ahead of her night shift to take the prints before I arrived for the evening to ensure the card would be a surprise. She also brought us a sweet little knit hat she made herself and when a new batch of donated crocheted toys came in, she made sure our son received an especially cute octopus with long knit tentacles, explaining that she thought it’d be great for him because he kept grabbing onto his cords and feeding tube so perhaps the toy would keep his tiny hands busy in a safer way.
While no parent wants their child’s first days to start in the NICU, for us, it was a blessing in disguise; both my son and I are now stronger for our experience, and I very much have Nurse Lili to thank for that.
From the very first night I spent in the NICU with my son, Lili gracefully stepped into a dual caregiving role for both baby and mommy. I have never been more afraid in my life than I was during our first few NICU days as our son was strapped to various monitors, a feeding tube, and an IV. Lili took her time with me when I struggled to get out sentences through tears and made sure all my questions were answered and that I understood everything that was going on. She spent extra time with me, teaching me her techniques for caring for my son, helping to build my confidence at a time when I felt it had been completely shattered.
Lili not only made sure my son was fed, changed, and warm, but also took extra steps to look after me to ensure I felt comfortable and capable of handling his needs.
I was so touched throughout my son’s stay by the depth of Lili’s compassion for her patients and their parents. She surprised me just ahead of Mother’s Day with a card she’d handmade using prints of my son’s feet. I later learned she came early ahead of her night shift to take the prints before I arrived for the evening to ensure the card would be a surprise. She also brought us a sweet little knit hat she made herself and when a new batch of donated crocheted toys came in, she made sure our son received an especially cute octopus with long knit tentacles, explaining that she thought it’d be great for him because he kept grabbing onto his cords and feeding tube so perhaps the toy would keep his tiny hands busy in a safer way.
While no parent wants their child’s first days to start in the NICU, for us, it was a blessing in disguise; both my son and I are now stronger for our experience, and I very much have Nurse Lili to thank for that.