I don’t think there will ever be enough words in the encyclopedia to describe the nurses that I will list below. For months, I’ve written draft after draft of this nomination, and it was difficult to put into words how grateful I am for every single one of them. To understand exactly why I nominated them and why they are deserving of this award, I’d have to explain where we came from. My son, K, was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a very rare disease caused by defective genes. These genes affect how the body makes collagen, a protein that helps strengthen bones. My son was given a 30-minute life expectancy. As a 22-year-old first-time parent, every day leading up to delivery was extremely emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing. Unfortunately, the hospital I delivered at was not equipped to care for his condition. At 11 days old, we were transferred to Nemours Children's Hospital. We arrived at night, it was pitch dark, and I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. When we arrived, there was a time when we were separated so I could complete paperwork. I was alone, beyond exhausted, and hadn’t had a warm meal in the prior three days.

Before our transfer, I stood at the bedside trying to advocate the best I could for K, but none of that mattered at that time. What mattered was that this was the first time I didn’t have eyes on my baby. My heart was out of my chest, and I was sick to my stomach. When I arrived at his room and saw him for the first time, my baby wasn’t screaming. He was clean, fed, and sleeping peacefully. I wanted to fall to my knees. I can’t explain the amount of tension that lifted from my body to see he was safe and content. It was at that moment that I knew we were in the right place with the right person, thanks to Nurse Sharita Jackson. I wholeheartedly believe God purposely put K in her care on our first night at Nemours. Nurse Sharita is truly heaven-sent. Her voice was soothing, and she was beyond gentle, not only with K but with me. She went above and beyond. She even took the time to give me a quick tour. She made sure I had an ample amount of blankets and pillows and made sure I had a warm meal. Nurse Sharita treated K as if he were her own. She was there for every cry, something I wasn’t used to. For once, I was able to let my guard down. Nurse Sharita was extremely knowledgeable about caring for babies with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Nurse Sharita gave me the opportunity to be involved in K’s care even though she could’ve finished much faster if she hadn’t taken the time to teach me more about his condition. For that, I will always be grateful that Nurse Sharita was our first nurse. Thank you for being our safe haven upon our arrival. As the days passed, so did the nurses. I was determined to learn all of my baby's cues, more about his condition, and how to care for him, which meant I had to observe everything. This led me to be sleep-deprived. I had been given the option to sleep elsewhere, but separation anxiety was at an all-time high, and I could never bring myself to leave.