My daughter has colorectal cancer and is developmentally delayed with Autism. After her surgery to remove the tumor, she started on the 6th floor. When she began bleeding from the bottom, she was moved to the 4th floor. She continued to lose blood, and Gabby went above and beyond to get my daughter what she needed.

Gabby didn’t stop until the doctors heard our concerns about the amount of blood Abby was losing. Once my daughter was scheduled for a scope to fix the internal artery bleed, Gabby made sure my daughter understood what was happening and reassured her that everything would be okay. Gabby was amazing to us; she also kept me informed and made sure I was okay so I could be there for my daughter during this unexpected time.

She went with us to surgery to make sure my daughter was heard and felt safe, and even came back afterward to check on her and let her know everything was fine. She was a guiding angel, easing our anxiety just by being there. The next morning, Gabby was her nurse again. While giving her medication, my daughter asked, “Am I okay?” Gabby told her, “Yes, you are.” My daughter then said, “I love you.” For her to express that kind of emotion to someone outside of family is huge—it usually takes years for her to show that level of trust and affection, but with Gabby it happened in just two days.

I believe Gabby embodies what nursing should be: integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence. Her willingness to go above and beyond for a patient who doesn’t fully understand what’s happening is remarkable. My daughter knew she could trust Gabby.