Our journey at Children’s of AL began when my 11 year old daughter had an ATV accident. I’ve always known it is the best when it comes to caring for children. My mom and sister have worked at Children’s for over 25 years and have devoted their lives to caring for children. But it really hit home when it was my child in the critical care seat. When I arrived at the scene of my daughter’s accident, I thought she was going to lose her arm and possibly her life. As we spent many days in and out of the operating rooms, there was one nurse who really touched my heart.

My daughter was a “girlie girl” who made sure her outfit and hair were perfect for school each day. She was suddenly almost unrecognizable. Her face had road rash and bruising everywhere. Her arm was almost ripped in half. Her leg was broken in multiple places. Her doctor said that this was one of the worst cases of an open wound that he had ever seen. Although things were bad, we kept praying and knowing that God’s will would be done. When we were placed on the 9th floor, one nurse really touched my heart. Her name was Valorie.

Anytime my daughter pressed her call light, she was there within seconds, asking what she could do for her. She saw how upset my daughter was about her hair since it was so matted from being in the hospital bed for weeks. Valorie spent hours taking the time to comb out her hair. She even brought products from home and spent time trying to make her feel like she wouldn’t lose her hair. This touched me in a profound way. I couldn’t help but nominate her for the DAISY Award. She meets every criterion of a great nurse. Your outstanding commitment to patient care is truly commendable. Thank you for all that you do as a nurse!!