After receiving treatments out-of-state, we were provided the opportunity for our daughter to receive treatments closer to home. Makaley was the first nurse we encountered. Little did we know at the time she would be our daughter's all-time-favorite nurse and our companion who would walk with us on this extremely difficult, unimaginable journey. Makayley took the time to get to know our daughter, our oldest daughter, and our family. She gained her trust, and ours by showing compassion, sincerity, and skill. Makaley went above and beyond for our daughter. She would play with her, talk with her, advocate for her, and let her call the shots - in a world where she didn't get much of a choice, this was everything. Makaley knew her so well. She knew when to back off if our daughter wasn't feeling it, but never missed her window to connect with her and make her feel special. Our daughter's schedule was filled with appointments and things no one should ever have to encounter but Makaley made it bearable for all of us, most importantly for our daughter. We would tell our daughter, “We’re going to Makaley's hospital today," and she would be okay with going because Makaley genuinely cared for her and made things not-so-bad. We all looked forward to seeing Makaley - not only for her comforting presence, but we all knew the nursing tasks involving our daughter would get done right. We didn't have to stress with Makaley. She would do what was required before we would even have to think about it or say it. We were always on the same page. This was such a relief especially when it came to the care of our child. It allowed us to focus on our baby versus stressing if what was being done to her was being done correctly.

Makaley treated our daughters with so much love and respect. She got to know all of us and truly showed us how much she cared. She was our sounding board, our shoulder to cry on, and our vision of hope. Unfortunately, with devastated hearts, our daughter lost her life. Makaley came to our daughter's vigil and funeral. In a world so dark, seeing her during that time provided us with comfort. We will never be able to thank Makaley enough for what she did for our daughter and our family. We hope by nominating her for the DAISY Award she knows how much she means to us, and more importantly how much she meant to our precious daughter. For Makaley to receive this award would be what our daughter had wanted. In honor of our sweet, beautiful baby girl, please award Makaley with this much-deserved achievement.

Note: This is Makaley's 2nd DAISY Award!