I am writing to share my experience and express my gratitude for my nurse Lisa. She has made me and my husband's very long journey at the Henry Ford Hospital much more bearable, and we couldn't have gotten so far without her.

On May 16th, I gave birth to extremely premature twins. These are my first children and we went thru IVF to conceive them. We have our entire lives invested in these precious miracles. Needless to say, my husband and I struggle everyday seeing them in the NICU under the care of someone other than ourselves. The exception to that is Lisa. Lisa is our babies' primary nurse, but more than that she is also my husband's and mine, too. We are comforted by her a thousand times a day as we ask the same questions a dozen times and cry to her, sharing our deepest fears. I trust her in caring for our babies, as she shows true compassion and speaks to them as if they were her own children.

She has a way of explaining the most complex things to us in terms we can understand, and gives us the truth, even if it's not always what we want to hear. As new mom of two miracles who will spend a total of 2.5-3 months in the hospital, a nurse like Lisa has given me comfort during a scary, traumatic time. She advocates for my babies and me, and makes us feel like family. She pays attention to the small things-like examining our babies' facial expressions to detect the slightest bit of discomfort, and tends to their every need. But she also pays attention to my needs, and takes the time to make sure I am getting all that I need as well. She even bought me some herbal tea to help with my lactation when I told her I was having issues. It is these small things that make this otherwise miserable experience a little more bearable.

Lisa will always be a part of me and my children lives and I will surely be in contact with her for many years to come.