I am on day 20 of being an inpatient on B26, while my son, who was born extremely premature, is recovering on the neonatal unit. Lily has been with us since the beginning of our stay and has provided me with the utmost care on every one of her shifts so far. However, I especially want to recognise Lily's contribution to the successful delivery of my baby boy, which will forever be the most traumatic and unforgettable day of my and my husband's lives.

On Friday, Lily was in charge of my care, and I believe that this happened for a reason. Having a younger, fun friendly face for me as a patient meant I made a connection with Lily straight away, and I think in my moment of need, Lily was the right person to be there for me. On the morning of my son’s early arrival, Lily refused to leave me. Lily prioritised monitoring my son all morning, demonstrating and truly feeling a duty of care to me and my son, refusing to let other departments and plans for my care on that day get in the way of the immediate care she was giving me at the time. If she had not done this, I believe my son, me, or both of us may not be here writing this.

We became so poorly so quickly. Lily was able to listen to me and act on my information to ensure my son's safety because she had already established a great relationship with me and had a great understanding and knowledge of me as a patient. Lily didn't leave us all morning; she knew something was wrong, as did I, and I have to thank her for her dedication, commitment, and incredible abilities as a midwife. We are both doing so well.

I don’t know how to thank you, Lily, so I hope this shows just a tiny bit of my gratitude to you for that day.