Abbey was exactly what we needed after our son was born with HIE in March of 2023. He was rushed to the NICU and we were left scared and unaware of what the next steps would be for our baby to be strong enough to come home. We spent 8 days with Abbey, not only by our son C’s side, but she guided us every step of the way. Through his intubation, cooling mat process, re-warming, to helping us with feeding him for the first time while he was in his fragile state. We had so many questions, we were very scared, and she put us at ease. She got us through the toughest days. She made sure C was comfortable at all times, and explained each step and process in order to get C home.

During our visits, we connected with Abbey and shared stories, which helped us keep our minds busy. She would notice me panicking if an alarm went off on one of his machines, and she made sure I understood why it went off and what to look for next time if it were to happen again. During the medical team's rounds, if I did not understand something, she would put it into words, and my husband and I would understand. She would send us updates on the communication system if we were unable to be with C at any given time. It was always so reassuring knowing he was left in such good hands when we would go home to be with our daughter for a while. It was just one less thing I had to worry about him being “alone.”

The day of his discharge was very bittersweet. We were excited for him to come home and knew we owed a lot of it to Abbey for being on top of her game every step of the way. She cheered him on with every little milestone met while he was there. It was just such a good feeling knowing someone other than his family genuinely cared for him. He is now 9 months old and thriving. If anyone deserves to be recognized for truly going above and beyond, it's Abbey.