When I think back on the day our child was born, there are moments that shine with such clarity it feels like time stopped to make room for them. Between fear, excitement, and tears, one constant guided us through: a nurse who became our lifeline.

Allison introduced herself with a gentle smile and a calm voice that immediately cut through my anxiety. She was the kind of nurse who made you feel like you were the only patient in the hospital, like your birth was the only one happening that day.

Allison was our second nurse. We arrived at 2 am to be induced, and instead of being talked to like just another patient, she spoke to us as if we had always known one another. She took care of us. She explained everything with warmth and humanity. Every monitor, every contraction, every beep had a purpose, and she made sure we understood what was happening without ever overwhelming us.

I still wasn’t progressing the way I should have, and her shift was almost over, but before she left, my boyfriend and I wanted to make sure she was our nurse the next morning, since we knew we would still be there. When she came to say goodbye, we asked how possible it was and that we trusted her wholeheartedly (after 12 hours). She informed us that they usually just get assigned to a random patient, but she would put it in my chart and on the board that she would be returning to my room the next morning, per my request.

It wasn’t just emotional support. Allison was technically brilliant, too. She anticipated needs before we could ask, caught small medical changes early, and advocated for us with doctors when choices had to be made. She was the perfect combination of science and soul. She helped me through my epidural, came in every 30 minutes to move me around, and explained to our family and us what was going on every step of the way.

Our families could not say enough about her as well. The second she walked into the room, she acknowledged them as if she knew them for years as well. Still to this day, our family talks about how amazing a nurse she is and wishes every nurse would be even half like her.

There are people in life who leave fingerprints on your soul. Allison is one of them. She was more than a nurse; she was our guide, our strength, our breath when we forgot how to breathe.

And even now, as our child grows and changes, I find myself thinking back to her. She is our hero. No cape, no spotlight — just a badge, a heart full of purpose, and kindness that changed our world.