Our 18-year-old son was admitted to the Winchester Medical Center for pneumonia. Due to his genetic condition, Prader-Willi Syndrome, he has always been unable to tolerate a full oxygen mask. Because he needed more oxygen than a cannula is able to provide, he was moved to the ICU and intubated. He was also type-2 diabetic, and his kidneys weren't functioning as they should, so there was talk of dialysis. All of this was scary and heartbreaking for our family. As the week progressed and the medications began to clear the pneumonia and the kidneys improved, we thought we were on the right path to going home. The tube was even removed. That evening, A took a turn for the worse and had to be intubated again. I thought, okay, he just needs a few more days to get those lungs cleared. The next morning, our Palliative Care Doctor (James Van Kirk), who was also amazing, came to tell us that we could continue with aggressive, painful care, but that our son would never recover. His lungs were very bad, and with his genetic condition, his windpipe was, and would always be, the size of a child's. We chose not to put him through this and let him go. Callie Schumacher was A's nurse. This wasn't the first time Aiden had been hospitalized. You get to know the nurses, and when they have a few days off, or you get assigned a new one, it's a little stressful, especially when you have a disabled child. You know your child, how they feel, what to do, and what not to do to send them into a meltdown. Callie was amazing with A, and he loved her from day 1! She did her best to explain everything to him before she gave him any medications or care. For example, this might pinch, or this is to help you rest. She would always ask him if he was okay with what she did before she did it. Children with disabilities need this type of communication, and it is very important for the hospital staff to have some knowledge/training on these individuals! Callie is also just a very compassionate and loving person! She brought A, a stuffed animal, to let him know what a good job he was doing. She was there for his funeral. The day we said goodbye, Callie was our rock! With the bond her and our son made in those few, short days, it was obvious that she was heartbroken as well. With everyone’s emotions, though, she was still able to do her job perfectly by making him comfortable. It's an honor to nominate Callie for a DAISY Award! A actually worked at the hospital through the Project Search Program. He loved it there and made many friends with the staff at Valley Health. He had so many visitors from the hospital! We are grateful to all of them, as well as Valley Health participating in the Project Search Program for the disabled young adults in our community!