My now four-month-old son has been very ill. What started as vomiting turned into a whirlwind of unfortunate events. Kelly was there for me when I was at my lowest. When we came in, I had no idea how to feel. Third kid, never been through this, never had to sit hopelessly in a hospital and pray my child made it out alive while the team worked their hardest to find answers. What didn't seem serious to some was serious to me, and Kelly made sure I felt heard. Kelly saw me when I got short-tempered and listened to me, rather than judging. She cared for my child, but she also cared for me. She knew when I was exhausted, overstimulated, broken- and she knew exactly what I needed before I did. When she was our nurse, I felt safe. I knew if something happened, she was going to be there to give my son the help he needed and rescue me from the trenches of exhaustion and hopelessness. Not many people can do this job, but Kelly is one of a kind. She is a breath of fresh air when you feel like you're being smothered with nothing but horrible news. 9 total nights so far at CHKD, and we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

If there weren't people like Kelly, I do not believe I would have been able to do this mentally. She never told me I was wrong; she was always there to listen to my opinion about what I thought might be wrong, and she always advocated for my son when I felt like I couldn't. We were admitted twice in the span of 12 days and 9 of them I slept praying that tomorrow would be a better day. We've finally gotten there. Of course, we will have a lot of outpatient appointments to pinpoint allergies and GI issues, but our son would not be back to his happy, full-of-life self if it weren't for Kelly and the team. I truly hope you know how lucky you are to have Kelly as your employee. To have her choose to work here every day so selflessly when this job requires much more than just being a nurse. She was a nurse, a mom, a friend, and a sounding board. I am blessed to have met her, and when I leave, I will miss her and cherish the time we shared. I truly would pick her to be my nurse every time if I had the choice. If anyone deserves a DAISY Award, it would be her. Thank you, Kelly, for everything. Thank you for being so honest and true to who you are. You really are a blessing to CHKD and to all the patients you serve.