In our profession, we often speak of “moments that define us”, those rare, harrowing seconds where training meets instinct, and compassion drives action. Ellyn faced such a moment with profound courage and unmatched grace, and because of her, a baby is alive, and a mother has a chance to thrive.

The situation began on Mother’s Day with an urgent call from a patient’s husband. He reported seeing the umbilical cord after his wife had used the restroom, an unmistakable sign of a cord prolapse, one of the most time-sensitive, life-threatening obstetric emergencies. Ellyn responded without hesitation. She ran to the room, helped the patient into bed, and with clearheaded urgency, initiated the emergency response team. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Ellyn inserted her fingers to manually lift the baby’s head off the prolapsed cord—instinctively performing the one act that could preserve the baby’s oxygen supply and prevent fetal hypoxia or death. Cord prolapse is a medical emergency with devastating implications: when the umbilical cord descends through the cervix before the baby, it can be compressed by the baby’s presenting part, cutting off blood flow and oxygen. The emotional trauma for mothers in these moments, fear, panic, helplessness, cannot be overstated. For the fetus, every second counts. Without prompt intervention, this condition can lead to severe neurological injury, cerebral palsy, or stillbirth. Ellyn didn’t just intervene. She became the intervention.

Riding on the bed with the patient en route to the OR, Ellyn maintained manual elevation of the baby’s head, reassuring the terrified mother every step of the way, never once losing her presence or composure. Once in the OR, the emergency escalated. The patient was put under general anesthesia for an emergency cesarean section, but could not be intubated, leading to a respiratory arrest and profound maternal hypoxia. The surgery could not proceed. Time stood still. And yet, Ellyn remained beneath the surgical drape, still pressing up on the baby’s head, keeping the cord from being compressed, keeping that baby alive. The team ultimately had to prepare for defibrillation. The room swelled with chaos, personnel, equipment… and danger. In one of the most selfless and heroic acts imaginable, Ellyn stayed under the drape, vulnerable and unseen, while a maternal code was called and shock pads were applied. We announced to the room that Ellyn was under the sterile field, crunched into the table, literally holding life in her hands. Her presence was the single reason that the baby had any chance at survival, and in the face of danger, she continued to fight for the baby’s life.

Ultimately, the patient was ventilated, the cesarean delivery was completed, and both mother and baby were stabilized and transferred to their respective ICUs. Today, both are alive—a miracle forged not only through medicine, but through the unshakable resolve of a nurse who refused to let go. Ellyn’s actions were the embodiment of nursing at its highest calling. She demonstrated not only clinical excellence but also a level of bravery, instinct, and compassion that surpasses words. In the face of trauma, she remained grounded. In the face of danger, she remained committed. And in the face of loss, she chose life. For two patients. This is what the DAISY Award was made to honor. Ellyn is not only a nurse. She is a protector, a hero, and a reminder to us all of the quiet, awe-inspiring power of what it means to nurse.