I recently brought my 12-year-old autistic son in for an acute surgical problem. It was 11 pm, he was tired, in obvious pain, and very anxious about his visit. Once triaged and awaiting the surgeons, we were moved to the Children’s Assessment Unit, where Shay introduced herself and took over his nursing care. From that first moment, she was absolutely amazing with him.

Being autistic, our son does not normally engage with strangers, but Shay was quickly able to make him feel safe and comfortable. Her mannerisms and nurturing style, combined with a touch of humour, enabled her to carry out the required observations without fuss and apply "magic cream" to multiple sites. She even got him to smile and recite his name and DOB when asked, which was great! She constantly reassured him about what was going to happen and was very patient, professional, and caring when going through things with us as parents. She accompanied us up to recovery for emergency theatre and then even carried mum’s bags down to Bluebell and made sure she was okay while our son was in theatre.

It wasn't until later that she became aware that we were healthcare practitioners and familiar with hospitals and ED processes, so all her actions and behaviours were natural and not adapted in any way. It was incredibly reassuring to see Shay deliver excellent, competent, and compassionate care to our son, and we are very grateful the Trust has nurses like her. Thank you, Shay!