Dana Weiss was our 15-month-old daughter's nightshift nurse when she was in PICU. The care and tenderness with which she treated our daughter were extraordinary. She paid close attention to the way that L behaved over the course of two nights. She knew when L wanted to be held. She knew how to make L feel safe.
It was while Dana was with us that I was finally able to sleep for the first time in four days. I knew that L would be cared for in all the ways that she needed to be. Dana monitored and recorded L's vital signs very precisely and she even managed to feed L with a bottle--this was something neither my husband nor I were able to do.
Dana's warmth, knowledge, professionalism, and commitment to her patient and her patient's family (which included my husband, our son, and my mother) made the otherwise traumatic experience of having a child in PICU are inspiring and hopeful one. After L was transferred from PICU to NICU at CHOP Main, we received a surprise visit from Dana while she was off duty. She said that she wanted to say hello to L and that she wished us all the very best when it was time to return home.
My husband and I were deeply moved by Dana's care and concern. And it was during this NICU visit that she was able to make L smile for the first time since arriving at CHOP. We are so grateful to all the individuals and the medical teams at CHOP Main who took care of and saved our daughter and we are especially grateful to Nurse Dana Weiss and her exemplary nursing skills. We will never forget her.