Crystal Kelly
December 2022
Crystal
Kelly
,
ADN, RN
NICU level 3
Studer Family Children's Hospital
Pensacola
,
FL
United States
I could describe her in many words but the best is “loving.” She by far is the nurse I am most comfortable talking to her about anything.
I work for the Air Force as a computer engineer designing a next-generation weapon system for our warfighters. My daughter was born in December 2021. She has been in a hospital since birth, most of which she was struggling to survive. She was born with two different types of skeletal dysplasia (Achondroplasia and Kniest Dysplasia). To this day, she is the only baby ever to be born and documented with both of these conditions in the world. She has a tracheostomy, g-tube and is against the doctor’s best assumptions, coming home in the next few weeks. She has gotten stronger and stronger, and will hopefully be home in a few weeks.
Crystal was our primary night nurse and I can promise you nights with our daughter were not “fun” to sign up for. I can promise you that behind closed doors, nurses asked “not” to have her. We stressed every night because we knew, unfortunately, that nights were tough for her. There were many nights when we kissed our daughter goodnight not knowing if that would be the last time we ever kissed her. Knowing all of this, this nurse still took our daughter as a primary. I could describe her in many words but the best is “loving.” She by far is the nurse I am most comfortable talking to her about anything. I would ask her countless questions and ask her what she thought of certain things our daughter was doing and I think I even vented to her about my mother-in-law one time. However, while I am poking fun at this, it is incredible the impact she had on us. She was able to care for all of these babies and ensure their parents were cared for as well. She has more love, care, and support in one bone of her body than I think I do in my whole body. And to add on top of that, she is an extremely good, focused, and caring nurse. She has spent countless hours at our daughter's bedside holding her trach in its proper position when she was extremely sick in order to ensure my daughter survived the night. I know you think that might be silly to bring up but I ask you while you have one or two other babies to take care of, to sit standing for 3-4 hours at someone's bedside and hold her breathing tube in place in order to ensure they survive the night.
I honestly hope my daughter turns out to be just like this nurse when she grows up because I couldn’t be more proud. She is an absolutely amazing and a true DAISY Nurse.
Crystal was our primary night nurse and I can promise you nights with our daughter were not “fun” to sign up for. I can promise you that behind closed doors, nurses asked “not” to have her. We stressed every night because we knew, unfortunately, that nights were tough for her. There were many nights when we kissed our daughter goodnight not knowing if that would be the last time we ever kissed her. Knowing all of this, this nurse still took our daughter as a primary. I could describe her in many words but the best is “loving.” She by far is the nurse I am most comfortable talking to her about anything. I would ask her countless questions and ask her what she thought of certain things our daughter was doing and I think I even vented to her about my mother-in-law one time. However, while I am poking fun at this, it is incredible the impact she had on us. She was able to care for all of these babies and ensure their parents were cared for as well. She has more love, care, and support in one bone of her body than I think I do in my whole body. And to add on top of that, she is an extremely good, focused, and caring nurse. She has spent countless hours at our daughter's bedside holding her trach in its proper position when she was extremely sick in order to ensure my daughter survived the night. I know you think that might be silly to bring up but I ask you while you have one or two other babies to take care of, to sit standing for 3-4 hours at someone's bedside and hold her breathing tube in place in order to ensure they survive the night.
I honestly hope my daughter turns out to be just like this nurse when she grows up because I couldn’t be more proud. She is an absolutely amazing and a true DAISY Nurse.