Dani Wiklund made our hospital stay such a special and wonderful experience - always going above and beyond what is required of her. She took care of our baby during both of his hospital stays in the CVICU - for two weeks as a newborn and then a four-month stay a few months later, ending with his passing. During these stays, she always remembered small details about him, the things he responded well to, and what he didn’t. He was often throwing curveballs, and Dani would pull up data to show his past trends and what that could indicate about the future in discussions about his care. Our favorite memories, though, were the times when she put her nursing role aside and helped us bond with our baby.

When he was leaving for a risky surgery, she inked up his feet and placed them on our forearms, leaving us with his footprint on our arms so that we would have a physical connection to him while we were apart. This was something that we always carried with us, so when our son passed away, we once again inked up his feet and got footprints on our forearms, and this time, we included his nurses and doctors as well. Moreover, Dani did art projects with our baby - a couple of paintings and a flower bouquet. When he was having a hard day, she would try many things to get him into a good mood - from cuddles and bouncing to dance parties, music, and new toys. We learned that our son liked jellyfish and kissing noises from Dani. One of his most favorite things was an aquarium that Dani found in the toy closet for him.

Dani brought him his first post-surgery outfits. On another occasion, she brought him outside to visit the playground for the first time and helped us bring him down the slide for the first and only time. It was a truly magical day. She was an expert at finding ways for us to be involved in his care and finding ways to provide “normal” baby experiences for him. She encouraged us to bring in his stroller one day so he could go outside in his stroller rather than the wagon. She encouraged us to find clothes for him to wear. For a baby in the ICU, she could see that he was ready for so much more, so she brought him to the End Zone to play with his big brother and sister. Once there, she found musical instruments, and he enjoyed playing the drums. He was just in love with the change of scenery and playing with his siblings in ways we didn’t think were possible. All because of Dani and her expertise in knowing how to allow him to be a normal baby and giving him normal baby experiences.

Dani always made sure to involve our other kids as well so that they would feel important and special. They helped her send labs, play music, and help take our little one for wagon rides. She really did everything possible so that we could all bond together as a family. I’ll never forget the time she brought our little one down to the family lounge so we could all eat dinner together as a family. We were always thrilled when we found out that Dani was going to be our nurse for the day because we always knew she would rarely leave our little one’s side and would give him the best care possible. Dani walked with us every step of the way - the only nurse who knew our son his whole life and was there for it. During his final days, she was his nurse and then the resource nurse, so she would have an excuse to be in his room, but she would also allow some of his other core nurses time with him. On his final day, she brought in a shirt she had made just for him. It said “You are loved”. Not only did it say that, but in his fragile state, she knew he wouldn’t be able to put it on really, so she cut open a side and hand-sewed snaps on it so that it wouldn’t have to be pulled over his head. Dani never left any detail unnoticed. We are so grateful to have known her and to have had her love for our son. It’s hard to find a better nurse than Dani.