My 3-week-old son was admitted to the hospital after a positive RSV test and a need for oxygen. This nurse was always ready to answer my questions about medications and machines being used. After one night, the team decided my son was getting worse. They said we would be transferred to Vanderbilt where he could have more targeted care. I was ok up until this point. I am not a crier but I could not stop myself. My son was so little. He could not breathe and there was nothing I could do to help him. This nurse immediately comforted me. She told me he would be taken care of and that there would be great doctors there to help him. She sat on the bed with me until I calmed down.

The doctor decided to get some blood work while we were waiting for transportation. My son was not a fan in the slightest sense. Other nurses seemed panicked and rushed. This nurse seemed like she was born to be a nurse. She was so quick but also calm and gentle in all she did for my son. Before we left, she made sure I had things to take a shower and get me ready for what would be our 2-week stay at Vanderbilt.

My son is now well and we are home but I could not have even begun that journey to support my son without the support of that total stranger whom I now consider a friend. She asked me to contact her and give updates on my son’s health and she seems to enjoy the pictures and videos of my son growing.