When Carlie Austin became my daughter's primary nurse, our lives had been turned upside down for the second time. My twin daughters had been born at 24 weeks, one having passed away when they were two months old. My child would remain in intensive care the 10 months that followed. With over a dozen surgeries, multiple health complications, and even going home for five days before returning to the NICU, my living twin was now experiencing right side heart failure. The odds of her coming home were slim and I was at risk of losing my living child just months after losing her sister.

At the same time, COVID-19 had made its way to the United States. I was now living in my daughter's hospital room, sleeping on the couch afraid to leave her side. Overwhelmed is an understatement. Then, Carlie became a part of our daughter's care team. She was kind, respectful, and could explain things with empathy and clarity in a way that made it easy to see the full picture. She asked questions I didn’t know to ask. She could weave my words and thoughts together and articulate my concerns to the doctors with ease. She would suggest and try any and every solution when something would go awry. She brought comfort and peace to an extremely stressful situation and always knew when I needed comfort or when I needed space. I knew my daughter was in excellent care anytime my daughter was in her care, and she always told me the truth with kindness and compassion. It’s one thing to trust someone with your child, it is a totally different experience to trust someone with your child’s health when they are at their worst.

She held space for me during the most excruciatingly difficult experience in my life while going above and beyond for my child. I knew my daughter had a chance with Carlie on her team. For months, Carlie cared for my daughter, even checking on her on her off days. She showed how much she cared through her actions every single time. She puts her heart and amazing nursing skills into her craft. Her presence alone made such a difference in our day. After 366 days in intensive care my daughter was finally able to come home and Carlie was right there with us.

My daughter had beat the odds and Carlie had carried her through. You could tell she was just as happy as we were. You can tell when a person not only loves what they do, but recognizes the impact their presence makes in a child’s care. She genuinely cares and wants what is best for every child she touches and every family she meets. Her spirit alone changes the room when she’s there. I truly could not have made it through such a difficult experience without her and we still keep in touch with Carlie. My daughter has had almost a dozen hospitalizations and almost as many surgeries since we’ve left and she is still there with words of encouragement and wisdom. I share my daughter's wins and progress with her because I know she still cares. I know she’s happy that my daughter is doing well and that her heart extends past those hospital doors. I know for a fact that my daughters outcome would have been so much different had she not come into our lives when she did and I am forever grateful for her presence in our lives. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the Daisy Award than Carlie. She is not only an amazing nurse, she is an amazing person.