My daughter, unfortunately, had to have a third IR procedure, which was not considered a low-risk procedure. My daughter, her father, and I went down to the IR in preparation for the procedure. As our nurse from the ICU was maneuvering the bed to the right door, she paused to get her bearings and determine where we were supposed to enter. We all looked up, and there was a young woman with a pink cap and pink shoes waving to help direct us to the right place.

She greeted my daughter and us with such warmth and enthusiasm. She had a huge smile on her face. I was concerned that the anesthesiologist had not made it in yet, given the snow. She was reassuring and told us she was so sorry for any inconvenience, but that he would be here soon! She immediately attended to the patient’s needs by offering mouth swabs and allowing her to swish water in her mouth, as my daughter’s mouth was so dry. She expressed concern about being moved from the bed to the surgical table, wanting to be sedated so that she did not have to experience the pain of movement, given the size of the hematoma on her side and back due to injuries sustained. Valerie said, “We will make that happen. I promise you that we will make this so easy and comfortable for you.” She stayed with us until my daughter went into the area for the procedure.

Her boundless energy was a beacon of light and was undeniably experienced by all of us. Her pink shoes and her pink surgical cap were a fun distraction for all of us. She knew my daughter loved horses, and she even asked if my daughter wanted to see a funny video of a horse playing the piano. She agreed and smiled as she watched. Valerie knew she needed a distraction to keep her heart rate and blood pressure down.

Valerie is a rare commodity. You rarely meet someone who has so much positive energy that just oozes from her pores. She has to go home exhausted to deliver that kind of energy every day, but I get a sense she does it for everyone. She knew my daughter was scared, and she knew my daughter was sick. She empathized. She was confident. She was composed. She was reassuring.

Midway through the surgery, Valerie came out to let us know as parents that things were going well and that our daughter was tolerating the anesthesia well, and where they were in terms of the surgery. Once again, she just had this contagious sort of smile and positivity. I’m not sure where this woman came from. It was almost as if she was dropped right out of heaven, at the risk of sounding over the top! I believe she sensed our apprehension about everything our daughter had been through and intuitively knew that we were frightened. She has a calming presence and such a lovely countenance. I don’t know how to thank her enough.

Yes, her energy and positivity were above and beyond the call of duty, but it is also a gift… a very unique and rare gift. She intuitively knew how frightening these procedures can be for the patient and the family. She chooses, I suspect, day after day to bring that kind of energy to her job. I don’t know how the story will end for us, but I will be forever grateful to Valerie. And I don’t know if I will ever encounter her again, but I would want her to know from this mother‘s heart that she made a difference for those 3 to 4 hours. She was present to all of us in our time of need. I will never forget her.