Nurse Kelli! She was the light that shone a glimmer of happiness and joy during a dark and scary time for our family. In a matter of days, we went from parents of a seemingly healthy 4-month-old baby to being admitted to the Duke pediatric neurology and specialty services unit surrounded by doctors, all of whom were stumped by our son's symptoms. It is an unexplainable kind of fear when you seek medical care for your children, and even doctors at a leading hospital cannot explain, let alone treat, your child.

Our son is still undiagnosed but has a suspected rare genetic condition, which is the underlying reason for his symptoms. We were admitted to the ER the first time and stayed for nine days. At that time, we were lucky to have Kelli as a nurse. She was so bubbly and optimistic every time she came in. We were struggling, and she not only took time to talk to us for extended periods of time every single time she came in to check on us, but she also went above and beyond to make us as comfortable as possible with our stay and interpret the information these doctors were giving us. She took her time explaining the various reasons the doctors were doing tests, explained what different terminology meant and how it related to our son, and kept us in the loop with the plan of care the doctors were tirelessly working on outside our room behind closed doors.

In times like this, it truly boils down to the little things that make your life a little better when everything seems to be going wrong. She gave us tips and tricks for navigating the hospital, breaking into a secret stash of drinks she would bring to our room, and holding our baby when we were exhausted from bouncing and walking the halls for hours. She made sure the VAT team was doing what they needed, so they limited the amount of distress our baby was put through. She shared insight into other cases she has seen for the various conditions being thrown around as possible conditions for our son. She even hand-delivered bloodwork after they exploded in the tube system to the lab!

We had Kelli as a nurse for so many days in the three visits over the last month. We were so excited to see her name on our door each time. My husband was working so hard to keep our son calm. He is less mobile than a typical 5-month-old, so it is challenging carrying him around at his weight without his ability to help. Kelli paid attention to the soothing methods my husband used and was able to get him sleeping in her arms while we took a break together for the first time in days. She made sure when it wasn't necessary, we were left alone to get rest and recoup. Kelli would give us updates as much as possible when the doctors left the room, and we would be in the dark about what was happening. Even on discharge days, she would give us updates every time she knew something so we didn't get upset or restless waiting if it took longer for reasons we couldn't see.

It is important enough for my husband and I, for our family, to make sure Kelli is acknowledged for playing an outstanding role in our treatment at Duke. It is not a skill that can be learned; she truly is just a natural caregiver, particularly in a pediatric setting! Balancing scared, stressed parents and sick children in an uncomfortable, unfamiliar environment is not easy. Tension runs high! Thank you so much, Kelli!