Having a child with special needs comes with a lot of complications and frequent hospital visits. We have seen plenty of times in the ER where my nonverbal child is not treated like a typical child her age would be. After a first attempt failed catheterization, my daughter was even more anxious and nervous the second time since she knew exactly what was coming.

Darla came in and immediately set us both at ease. They talked to my daughter even though she couldn't talk back, and talked to her like every child deserves to be talked to when undergoing something scary. There was no coldness in jumping straight into the procedure. As the parent, I usually take the time to explain to my child what is happening and why it is happening, and I put her at ease. Nonverbal doesn't mean nonunderstanding, and Darla understood that. Darla explained every step of the procedure to my daughter, provided comfort, and fist bumps to make sure she was OK afterwards. I want to commend this nurse for truly taking the time to see and interact with my daughter as a child, and not just a patient.