My dear friend was diagnosed with a very rare and very aggressive cancer earlier this year. Due to complications from her disease progression, she was admitted to the hospital for further treatment. As if her cancer diagnosis wasn’t enough, she still strived to be the best mother she could be to her 7 year old daughter throughout the whole process.

On this particular afternoon her nurse Allie, who had already provided excellent nursing care, went above and beyond when my friend's daughter was allowed to visit. Allie printed out pictures for her to color and she stayed in the room talking with my friend's daughter and watched her color. Then, after finding out that she is currently obsessed with unicorns, Allie went down to the hospital gift shop and bought her a “caticorn”, a cat with a unicorn horn. Allie not only cared for my friend, but she cared enough to try and make this difficult visit comforting and fun for a 7-year-old girl who just wants to see her mother get well. She is truly an angel and embodies what it means to be a nurse. I will always be grateful for her kindness! 

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Allie always puts her patients' feelings first. We had a confused patient and Allie took the time out of her day to make that patient a baby and brighten that patient's day. The patient was so happy and full of smiles. That’s a real nurse to make that patient feel at home and less confused. Allie empathizes with her patients so much, that the day there was no family here, Allie was family. That’s the type of nurse I look up to and would love to keep working with. She also does a lot more caring things, but this thing stood out the most.