Katara Ryan (RN, NICU): My husband and I received a phone call from our adoption agency one morning telling us we had been matched with a baby boy who had been in the NICU for five days. Amid our excitement, we wondered, "Had anyone been snuggling our boy? Did he know in his first few days of life that he was loved and cared for?"

Later that morning, we went to the NICU to meet our son for the first time. Our nurse, Katara, made our first meeting so special. She picked the perfect outfit, made sure he was changed and fed, and ultimately introduced us to our son. She even made sure that his NICU area was decorated with souvenirs from his time in the NICU. It was the most beautiful moment- one that we will share with our son about his birth story. All of our fears about whether he was loved in those days before he was ours quickly diminished- we knew that Katara and the entire NICU team had given him all the snuggles, extra care, and love he so needed and deserved in the days prior to us meeting him.

Katara had a special glow and bond as she cared for our boy; we felt the utmost confidence in her care. She was so kind to us as we navigated this new adventure of parenthood, offering advice and encouraging us. We are forever grateful to Katara and the entire NICU team for loving our son before we even knew he existed.