Liz DiStefano
October 2025
Liz
DiStefano
,
RN
ICN
Pennsylvania Hospital - Penn Medicine
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States
We knew that our son was getting the same love and stimulation from Liz at night that we were giving him throughout the day. The peace of mind that gave us was priceless.
Liz is knowledgeable in their profession, because of that X factor that makes people one of a kind. Liz was a godsend not only to our child but to us as well.
Our son was left without oxygen during delivery, which led to a diagnosis of HIE. He was put in cooling therapy for 72 hours and then warmed for six hours. My husband and I were at his bedside over 12 hours a day, but at some point, you have to eat, shower, and sleep to recover and do it all over again the next day.
Liz was his nurse for four straight nights. Because of the procedure, he had a one-to-one nurse. Liz rolled their computer cart right next to his bed and parked themselves there for the night. We knew he was in good hands and had no doubt he would be cared for through the night.
I would wake up throughout the night to check the angel eye, but I didn’t even need to because instead I would have texts and pictures on my phone from Liz. Where we felt little comfort, Liz provided that comfort to our son and to us when we could not be there with him.
Liz was always hands-on, talking to him and touching him, not just when it was time for a diaper change or a medicine change, but just because they wanted to. We knew that our son was getting the same love and stimulation from Liz at night that we were giving him throughout the day. The peace of mind that gave us was priceless.
As our son was being weaned off morphine and was more alert, we literally saw how well he responded to Liz. Liz makes you feel like you’re the only person that matters at that time, and that is so reassuring when your child’s life is in their hands.
When Cash was about to be warmed, his bedside was decorated with a poster to cheer him on. When Cash was getting ready to come home, he was dressed in a NICU grad onesie with a graduation cap. All those little details were not medical; they were human, and I truly believe they helped him to feel superhuman.
We cannot even begin to show our gratitude for the nurses, doctors, and staff who saved our son’s life, but we sure would like to try.
Our son was left without oxygen during delivery, which led to a diagnosis of HIE. He was put in cooling therapy for 72 hours and then warmed for six hours. My husband and I were at his bedside over 12 hours a day, but at some point, you have to eat, shower, and sleep to recover and do it all over again the next day.
Liz was his nurse for four straight nights. Because of the procedure, he had a one-to-one nurse. Liz rolled their computer cart right next to his bed and parked themselves there for the night. We knew he was in good hands and had no doubt he would be cared for through the night.
I would wake up throughout the night to check the angel eye, but I didn’t even need to because instead I would have texts and pictures on my phone from Liz. Where we felt little comfort, Liz provided that comfort to our son and to us when we could not be there with him.
Liz was always hands-on, talking to him and touching him, not just when it was time for a diaper change or a medicine change, but just because they wanted to. We knew that our son was getting the same love and stimulation from Liz at night that we were giving him throughout the day. The peace of mind that gave us was priceless.
As our son was being weaned off morphine and was more alert, we literally saw how well he responded to Liz. Liz makes you feel like you’re the only person that matters at that time, and that is so reassuring when your child’s life is in their hands.
When Cash was about to be warmed, his bedside was decorated with a poster to cheer him on. When Cash was getting ready to come home, he was dressed in a NICU grad onesie with a graduation cap. All those little details were not medical; they were human, and I truly believe they helped him to feel superhuman.
We cannot even begin to show our gratitude for the nurses, doctors, and staff who saved our son’s life, but we sure would like to try.