I believe one of the most difficult skills as a healthcare worker is learning to sit in silence with a family in critical moments, such as those surrounding the death of a child. Or in the moments looming over a family knowing their child is dying and will not live out the hopes and dreams they had for him/her. The nurse that is nominated for this DAISY Award has the compassion, empathy, and unique skills to do so, and has been recognized by numerous families for her ability to help them through these difficult moments. She strives to make the time that each family has with their child meaningful and a time to remember with love. She goes above and beyond to assure that a family can make the most of the little time they may have with their child after birth. She has often gone out of her way on a weekend or after work hours to deliver a small token of remembrance to a family, or to attend a memorial service or funeral. These families are so appreciative of her love and they frequently return to honor her and the team with gifts and donations to the program. Jenine's work with families has resulted in the Heavenly Hugs Memorial Animal donations to our program, which enable us to provide others with infant loss a memento to memorialize their child. Jenine has also worked with families who were unable to fund the burial costs for their infant, and she was able to find an organization to assist with the expenses (an organization started by a family who had also experienced a loss and had worked with Jenine). She is often contacted by families with excitement to share the news when they find out they are having a "rainbow baby". To me, this shows how important Jenine is in their life. Below are some quotes from several families whom she has impacted: "When we found out our daughter would not survive long after birth, we were put in touch with Jenine. She quickly became much more than a healthcare worker, she became a friend. She helped ease much of the unknown anxieties as she could while being compassionate and loving. Since our daughter passed away, Jenine and I have stayed in touch and she has always reminded me how loved our daughter is and how much her life has impacted her and others. There is nothing more a grieving mother could ask for. We are so thankful for her work as a nurse and her caring heart." "On the hardest day of my life you were my support. You held my hand through so many tears and helped me get through the worst possible day. The passing of my 2-day-old son is the kind of pain I never wish for anyone to feel. You comforted me through so much and even shed tears with us. I'll never forget all your kind words, gifts, and hugs. We love you" "Jenine walked alongside us for the duration of my pregnancy after our son was diagnosed with severe congenital heart disease that was not compatible with life outside the womb. Our son was born and lived 50 days before passing away. In honor of his life, and the positive impact he had and continues to have on people's lives, we make baby blankets each year which are donated and distributed to families and patients on his birthday. Jenine assists us every year in honoring him and starting our small organization to spread our love for him through these donated blankets. For six years, she has helped us coordinate our donations to the patients and families at the hospital. We look forward to our time with Jenine and the Medical City staff and families to celebrate him every year." "From day 1, Jenine was clear that my baby's life mattered and that he was greatly loved. On our last morning in the hospital, the day we were going to have to say goodbye to him, Jenine came by our room. It had been a bittersweet 3 days with him and we still hadn't quite grasped the reality that he was gone. And even though his spirit had already left his earthly body, Jenine picked him up and cradled him so gently and tenderly as if he were her own. She had waited months to meet him and I could feel her love for him through her own tears. A couple of months later, she, along with several others from our medical "dream team", came to his Celebration of Life service, and what joy it brought us to have her there. But despite how devastating our circumstances were, we couldn't help but see the blessings of the Maternal Fetal Institute and specifically, our time with Jenine. She is a gift to this program and a gift to the families she serves. When you receive a diagnosis of any kind about your child, your immediate reaction is fear. Confusion, anxiety, and a feeling of overwhelm quickly follow. Many of us in these situations have a loving support system through friends and family but the medical side of things can feel scary. So to have someone like Jenine be an advocate for our family, to answer so many of our hard questions, to make sure that we got the resources we needed, and to make sure we knew how loved and valued our son was...was priceless. JENINE is priceless. And she will forever remain one of the brightest spots in a dark season of our lives." Jenine's work with the families in the Maternal Fetal Institute is unparalleled. We have an amazing gem on our team that deserves to shine. From the quotes above, it is easy to see why Jenine is deserving of the Daisy Award. Thank you for your consideration.