Our family would like to nominate our son B’s CICU nurse, Macie, for the DAISY Award in recognition of the extraordinary compassion, attention, and humanity she showed us during the last two days of B’s life. From the moment Macie became our nurse, it was clear that not a single detail would be overlooked. She cared for B not only with clinical excellence but with a level of love and intentionality that we will never forget. She gave B a bath, lovingly changed his outfits, and thoughtfully selected the most perfect bedding for our photography session so that the memories we captured would be beautiful and meaningful. She created memory crafts for our family and made sure to include our daughter, L, so she felt connected and involved in honoring her baby brother.

Macie even changed the writing on the whiteboard so that everything matched — a small detail to some, but one that spoke volumes about how deeply she cared. Every action showed that she understood how important these moments were, and she treated them with the reverence they deserved. Most profoundly, Macie stayed with us as B took his last breath. She wrapped him gently and perfectly in his final swaddle of life, ensuring he was held with dignity, love, and peace as he was taken from us for the final time. The dinosaur blanket that she picked out to perfectly match B’s dinosaur outfit was returned to us from the funeral home, and we will cherish it for life. It will forever tell this story every time we look at it. In the most devastating moments a family can face, Macie was steady, present, and deeply compassionate. Macie was not just our nurse — she was a guide, a comfort, and a protector of our memories. Her kindness will forever be woven into our story of B. She is truly one of a kind, and we are endlessly grateful for the care she gave our son and our family.