Our daughter C has had five airway surgeries and an additional five DISE procedures, all at MEE. Annie has been our nurse on several of those occasions, and I wish we could take her back to Mississippi with us! C has Down Syndrome and a complicated medical history that includes 19 surgeries in her 20 short years, so as you can imagine we have seen a wide variety of nurses, and our hearts have broken watching our beloved daughter struggle on many occasions. Annie just makes the hard times easier, nurturing the entire family through complicated surgeries. I’ve never nominated anyone for a DAISY Award, but I just had to let you know of her value to your hospital. She is so very knowledgeable, and compassionate, and goes over and beyond to help, even when it’s not something that’s part of her job. She truly feels like family in a city where we don’t know a single person.

Without asking, she brings arts and crafts to work with C, takes her on walks, and one time when I was here alone with C and was feeling overwhelmed, not only did she give me a hug but asked me to walk outside and get a breath of fresh air while she watched C. She gathers towels and toiletries for us without our asking when our hospital stays run longer than we intended. I’ve seen her stand beside our C and stroke her hair as she has been sick or has been in pain after surgery, almost as if C was her own. Her kindness is so refreshing in a world where it’s easier to just do your job and go home. Annie makes Mass Eye and Ear feel like home to us. Her servant’s heart has made all of these surgeries easier on C and our family. Every hospital needs an Annie Goulette.