I first met Olivia during my emergency C-section. She was my very first introduction to the NICU. My first impression, a first glimpse into the next few weeks of my newborn's life. Olivia was the very first person I had to blindly trust with the life of my newborn son.

Olivia got down on my level, said hello, and introduced herself with a genuine smile. There were so many people in the OR, and yet, Olivia is the one I remember most clearly. A simple moment in time transformed into a core memory. She took the time to acknowledge a scared mother on the OR table. She began a relationship of trust between mother and NICU.

Olivia is so much more than the charge nurse in the NICU. Her actions that day set the tone of my son’s entire stay. That small seed of trust blossomed into a garden of faith and confidence. Invaluable for a mother who suddenly finds herself no longer pregnant and without a babe in her arms.

As the days pass and my son grows, Olivia is a constant reminder of compassion and hope. I wish her the very best on her journey to becoming a neonatal NP. She will do many wonderful and beautiful things, and for that, the world is a better place.