My father had a stem cell transplant and stayed in the BMT unit. Natalie was his nurse on the second day of his stay, and that was when he got his stem cells. It was already a big day, but Natalie made it even more special.

We only had her at the very beginning of my father’s stay and at the very end, but after the first time we had her as a nurse, she became our constant for the three weeks in the hospital. When Natalie was at work, she was checking in on my father and our family. My father loved joking around with her, and I could tell my father really appreciated her always checking in on him.

My father had a scare where we had to be transferred to the ICU, and when he got transferred back, she was in his room checking on him again. He was really down and was not as interactive with the staff, but that didn’t faze her; she still showed him kindness and still came in to check on him and the rest of our family. When he was in pain from mucositis, she went above and beyond to find a solution.

When he seemed down or depressed, she was the only one to ask him not only about how he was feeling physically but also about how he was mentally. My mother and sister, who did not know anything medical, were comforted by Natalie. My sister, who was with him one day, was very nervous because our father wasn’t himself and seemed very sick. Natalie spoke with her and made my sister feel better about his progress. She did the same with our mom.

She wasn’t even my dad’s nurse, yet she was comforting his family. Natalie was the nurse I felt comfortable going to when I was feeling frustrated or down about my father. I don’t think she truly understands what she did for my family. We could never express how grateful we were to have Natalie be part of our journey.

Thank you, Natalie, from the bottom of our hearts.