My 7-year-old son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia back in May 2021 when he was just 3 years old. His treatment lasted over 3 years, meaning he spent a lot of time in the hospital on the Disney ward. During this time, Nick was there all the way through his treatment, right from the day we received his devastating diagnosis.

In that time, Nick built up a special rapport with my son, and whenever he had to spend time in the hospital, he always hoped Nick would be the nurse on duty to look after him. Even when he was very poorly in hospital, Nick made the hospital a fun place for him and a place where he always felt safe to be.

Nick would always go out of his way to spend time with him. He would always remember previous conversations he had, and all his favourite things (favourite characters, toys, TV programmes, etc.) and would always use this to start a conversation to make my son feel instantly at ease. Even when Nick was really busy with other patients or wasn’t the nurse assigned to look after him on a particular shift, he would always come out of his way to say hello and have a little chat.

The care and professionalism Nick always showed were outstanding. The last few years have been very tough for my son and our family, and Nick really made a difference and made the journey easier as we always felt reassured when we were in the hospital, and he was looking after us. There are many great nurses, but Nick is truly one of the best, and he makes a difference. His passion for nursing is obvious and incredibly admirable.

Even when my son finished his treatment, Nick came to the clinic to watch him ring the end-of-treatment bell, so Nick was really there from day one right through to the very last day. The words "Thank you" will never be enough to express how grateful we are for the difference he has made in our family through the care, compassion, and support he has provided our little boy.