I have had Sofia as a nurse multiple times throughout my lengthy stay, and each time she has exceeded expectations. At the beginning of my stay, she advocated for me throughout various miscommunications regarding a procedure. She kept me updated when no one else was keeping me in the loop.

Towards the latter half of my stay, I was not allowed out of bed. Every time Sofia was my nurse, she would do hygiene care and help me with it. Very few other nurses would even help me to brush my teeth. Sofia would wash,  brush, and even braid my hair. She even went as far as shaving my legs to help me feel better. Sofia always knew how to put a smile on my face and listened to me. She was kind, caring, and always went above and beyond.

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Sofia was the first nurse from the very start. Sofia acted as a strong advocate for my care. She was not annoyed by my many questions and served as a strong liaison with the medical team in getting answers to all my questions. On the second day of my stay, I returned from a colonoscopy with shocking and devastating news of my colon cancer diagnosis.

Sofia was there to meet me as the stretcher wheeled up to my room, and she demonstrated such sincere compassion and understanding for what I was going through. When Sofia was with me, she made me feel "safe" as I navigated the challenges of this very complex healthcare system. Sofia just had this way about her that instilled me with confidence and calm and lessened some of the anxiety I was feeling after receiving my cancer diagnosis.