The first time we met Maria was after a sleepless night where our 7-year-old daughter was agitated, mean, and uncooperative. Her first impression of our little girl was probably not the best. Just two nights prior, our baby had experienced an unexpected medical event that led to her being hospitalized. After that, she was poked for IVs, given steroids that made her angry and exhausted from lack of sleep due to the constant beeping of machines and monitors. Maria was her morning nurse, and she was to come in and draw her blood after multiple attempts the night before, for labs were unsuccessful. She probably had other patients, and we were just one of them, but she did her best to make us feel like we had her attention. Instead of pushing the issue right away, she gave my daughter time to warm up her arms, to eat, to calm down, and to feel some peace. She listened to my concerns with empathy and called Child Life in to support our baby girl. My daughter was not nice after a tough night and called her all kinds of mean things, but she returned with empathy and kindness. We got her as our nurse again the next night and again she treated us with warmth. This time my little one was given an even higher dose of steroids, and while she could have brushed her off as a demanding brat, she didn’t. She patiently brushed my daughter’s massive, tangled nest of hair into perfection. She folded and tucked the hospital bed sheets in a way that felt like a bed at home. She patiently talked her through the oral meds she didn’t want to take. She might have felt like caring for my little one was a thankless task but I’m truly so thankful for Maria. Maria is an example of the kindness and empathy I will instill in my kids and will strive to express to others.