The DAISY Award is meant for a person who does more than just their job. They are exceptional at their job, but what makes them different is the stamp that they leave on your heart forever. After having a two and a half week stay on the Labor and Delivery unit, I delivered my second son A, and finally was able to transfer over to Maternity Postpartum. After becoming excited that we were one step closer to going home, that quickly changed when I learned we would be headed to the NICU related to A's low blood sugars. In tears, I felt completely defeated at this point, and anxious that this would extend our stay another week.
This is when I met Elizabeth. Elizabeth was assigned to me as my night nurse. I was post-C-section and could barely walk yet, exclusively breastfeeding A. Because A and I were now in different units, I had requested to be brought down through the night instead of having the nurses bottle feed him. This required Elizabeth to wheelchair me down every three hours for the next twelve hours. Some would say this was part of her job, but it was the manner in which she did it that mattered. Every single time she came in she greeted me with a huge smile. Not once did she make me feel like it was a burden. Trust me, it definitely was a challenge, but I was determined for my son and it meant the world that Liz was totally on board. One of the times I came back to my room, a note was left on my side table. It read: "S, I freshened your water and I put ice in it. If you don't want ice just let me know and I will replace it. PS- You are AWESOME!!" Signed by, none other than Elizabeth. This put a huge smile on my face and reassured me that I was strong, that she truly supported me, and that A and I would get through this last little bump in the road.
I was lucky enough to have Elizabeth for the next two nights, offering me words of encouragement the entire time. By the end of my stay, we bonded and shared personal stories. I actually was going to miss being there and sharing my sleepless nights with her. She is knowledgeable, professional, but most of all completely in tune with what matters the most in this world, which is making a human connection. I would love nothing more than for Elizabeth to be honored, but at the very least to say... Thank You.