Our 3-month-old daughter was recently hospitalized for a 6-week duration for an Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant for a SCID diagnosis. We were housed in the 3rd Floor East BMT wing of Philadelphia CHOP, where we received care from over 40 different nurses during the course of our stay.

Liz Maisch stood head and shoulders above the others in the eyes of my wife and me, and provided a level of dedication and care that was incredibly comforting during one of the most tenuous and uncertain periods of our lives. Liz was a constant source of compassion and empathy at all times when caring for our little girl. Her investment in our daughter's successful treatment and recovery was evident from the moment we met her.

Never once did she scoff at a question we asked, even if it should have otherwise been deemed silly, obtuse, or redundant. She responded calmly and with compassion - always making us feel heard. If she wasn't immediately sure of the correct answer, which was not often, she would go out of her way to find the appropriate party and relay the information in a manner that was both clear and concise. We especially appreciated that we were never undermined or made to feel like our concerns did not matter. Rather, she encouraged us to advocate for our daughter's best interests at all times.

I remember specifically when we were having a sit-down meeting in our hospital room with our outpatient discharge nurse, and our daughter was not having a particularly good day. There was a lot of information being discussed that required both of our combined attention and focus to make sure we were prepared for her care after discharge. She was extremely fussy at that point, which would have made it very difficult to focus during our time with the outpatient discharge nurse. 

Without us having to ask for assistance or interrupting our discussion, Liz immediately jumped into action. She swaddled and held our daughter in her arms calming her down instantly and allowing my wife and I to focus for the rest of the 45 minute meeting. We thanked her for her swift intervention at the end of that meeting and remarked how helpful she had been to us both.

Liz's dedication even extended to days when she was not our assigned nurse. Several times, I can recall she stopped by our room, always conscious of the sign on the door so as never to disturb a sleeping baby, to say hello to our daughter and see how we were doing, and if there was anything she could do to help make our stay more comfortable. It was a seemingly small gesture that went a long way in the hearts and minds of a mother and father trying to make sense of an incredibly challenging situation. Her inquiries were always genuine, and it was evident that she truly cared for the well-being of our entire family.

Another time when I felt she went above and beyond was when our daughter managed to dislodge her NG feeding tube and pull it all the way out of her nose. Liz immediately procured all of the necessary items to install a new tube and turned an otherwise dreadful mistake into a calm and teachable moment. She encouraged me to help install the new tube, taking care to teach me helpful techniques, while at the same time managing to make sure she was in no undue stress or torment throughout the process. This was an invaluable exercise that provided me with the confidence necessary to tackle such a setback if it were to occur when we were outside of the hospital in our home.

In closing, Liz was a consummate professional as a caregiver to both our daughter and our family as a whole. We have no doubt that every other patient receives the same level of unwavering dedication and compassion when in her care. If we ever have the misfortune of being hospitalized again for our daughter's condition, we would welcome the opportunity to do so under her care.