I was a critical 27-year-old patient for about two months. I had multiple organ failure and severe heart failure, almost resulting in a transplant. I was unable to speak due to being tracheaed. Lauren was an incredible nurse. Loud no doubt but in the best way. She lightened up my very dark room to what I can remember. She calmed my parents down because she was always on the money. She was always kind, patient, compassionate, and, most of all, the best advocate I have ever seen.

There was a NP who wanted me to have a cardiac MRI even though I wasn’t obviously mentally stable for it. I remember Lauren coming back in asking me what I wanted to do and she went outside and didn’t let any of them come back in and advocated for my body when I obviously couldn’t. The MRI wasn’t going to change the treatment plan in any way, so she demanded they leave me alone. I’ve had over 100 nurses in my lifetime and then some. Lauren will forever stand out because she cared for me instead of treating me like another bed. She was there at my worst and I begged them to let her be my forever nurse because she was just unbeatable. This quality care and compassion from a nurse to a patient is so hard to find.