I am writing this nomination for an amazing human being who changed my life forever. One of the scariest times of any woman's life can be during childbirth. I entered Virtua Mount Holly hospital with an uneasy feeling in my stomach as a pregnant woman who was bleeding. I was told the best option for my situation was to be induced and have the baby that day. I was horrified; this was definitely not a part of my birth plan.

Fast forward to the time of induction, a new night nurse was taking over the shift. She walks in with a huge smile on her face, erases my patient board, and begins to tell us her name. "Hi, my name is Melinda," she said loudly and confidently. We introduced ourselves, and she noticed that my husband has an unusual name that she had not heard since childhood. She broke the ice with a childhood story, and we all shared a laugh. From that initial introduction, we felt so at ease, and the weight of such an intense worry lifted. From the first impression, she made us feel like we were long-time friends.

I remember feeling so much pain and trying my best to breathe through the pain as the night progressed. Each time she came in to check on me, she gave me such words of encouragement and reassurance that they still linger in my mind today. "Wow, you are doing fabulous. You should teach women how to do these breathing techniques." Those were just some of the things Melinda told me. She would come in with jokes and stories and really lighten my mood. Her professionalism was also such a memorable characteristic, she detailed every procedure, answered all my questions and she offered my husband and I much comfort with heated blankets and pillows.

Melinda changed rooms with us as I got closer to delivery; at this point, I couldn't believe I was making it through one of the toughest nights of my life with such joy. This was my second baby, my first delivery was such a long, painful and dreadful experience. The time came for my epidural. My first thought was of my mom because she was so far away from me in another state. I was exhausted at this point, but Melinda walked over to me and gave me the hug I longed for. She gripped my hands and told me I was almost there and doing such a great job. "Take a deep breath and make sure you don't move," she said as she held me ever so tightly. I don't think Melinda knew just how much that little moment we shared impacted my entire childbirth experience. I felt a sense of calm when she was around; I knew I was safe and that my baby would be safe with her.

The nurses at Virtua Mount Holly's labor and delivery unit are simply amazing! Melinda changed my life forever, and to this day, I still think of her. It's been 3 months since I delivered my baby, but these phenomenal women deserve to be recognized for their hard work. These women are inspiring, encouraging, uplifting, and building the mental health of their patients daily! I will make sure, whether they win this award or not, that they are remembered in my family as I tell my baby girl the story of the astounding nurses who helped mommy bring her into this world.