I am one of the Clinical Coordinators for the Vascular Access Team. My daughter was recently admitted to the PICU for respiratory failure. She has struggled with asthma over the past few years, and I have had difficulty controlling it from home. I was unable to control it with the meds I had on hand two Fridays ago and realized I might need to bring her in for steroids. I have worked here for 16 years, and at the very least, I knew that I had friends who would help me along the way for my daughter's sake. I have to start by saying that the care my daughter received from the physicians, nurses, and respiratory staff of the ER and PICU blew me away. I was expecting to see smiling faces, but I was not expecting the level of support my daughter, my wife, and I received from all of the staff. I am so very grateful. My daughter was transferred to the PICU. I did the one thing I knew how to do, which was to be a nurse and reserve my emotions for later. My wife, who is a nurse manager for another institution and has never dealt with pediatrics, was deeply impacted by our situation. We felt helpless being on the other side of things and realized that we were at the mercy of our caretakers. I'm so grateful that our caretakers were relentless in their pursuit of my daughter's health and treated my family as a whole. Though I was composed on the outside, what helped me get through that difficult moment was the reassurance I received from all of my peers who attended my child. I cannot express how grateful I am and how impactful this experience has been on me as a coworker and as a healthcare professional. 

I want to single out Elizabeth Bouzo, RN. I hadn't slept for 24 hours. I was weary, my wife wasn't coping well, and I could not express my concerns to her, which made things harder for her. I don't know if Elizabeth picked up on that or if this is just who Elizabeth is but she comforted all of us in those moments. Elizabeth gained a rapport with my daughter, which instilled trust, as she was losing trust and gaining anxiety about the process. She was able to meet her at her level and put many smiles on her face. Elizabeth was able to find common interests with my wife. This helped my wife disconnect for a moment and focus on things that make her happy. She also had a few laughs, which put her at ease. Elizabeth made the smallest of positive remarks in the most subtle of tones from coworker to coworker to me. Without saying it directly, what I heard was that we've been through this before, and we'll get through it again. That meant the world to me. I want to sincerely and publicly thank her for everything she did for my family and me over the course of those few days.

My sincerest thank you to them all. During all of this, my daughter received prompt around the clock care. Advocate after advocate showed up including Child Life. Let me not forget them. I was impressed. I am grateful. My daughter is well as if nothing happened. I was already committed to the cause but now even more so.