My chronic illness journey started when I was only 13 years old. I have a very rare condition called LPHS, which means I have made tons of ER trips. One thing that has stayed consistent over the years is my favorite nurse, Marsha. Marsha has gone above and beyond for my family and me since my very first trip to the ER.

I remember being 14 (6 years ago) and in excruciating pain in my right kidney. Marsha was not only my triage nurse but my ER nurse that day. She took my pain seriously and advocated for me like no other nurse I've ever met. Marsha took the time to sit down with me, understand my pain, and help me to express that to the doctor. I was young and scared, so I didn't have quite the words I needed to express myself. Marsha took the time to help me find that. She sat with me and held my hand while I was in awful pain. She explained every step and every medication I got to alleviate my fears.

Being a mom of a sick kid is also scary, and Marsha understood that, taking time to check on my mom and explain to her in terms she could understand based on what the doctors were telling us. She advocated for me to get the appropriate pain control, and even brought me warm blankets each time mine were cold. On my very first trip to the ER, I knew Marsha was different.

She truly cared. Her compassion has been life-changing for me over the years. She remembered me, comforted me through bad news, wiped my tears, argued with dismissive doctors to get me adequate pain control, and even celebrated my victories with me. On the last ER visit, Marsha was my nurse again, and she helped me advocate to the doctor for a specific medication regimen that she and I both knew would work for my flares. If it were not for her, I don't know if I would have received adequate care that day. I got to share some exciting news with her as well that I was on the wait list for a renal auto transplant. Marsha celebrated with me and my family, and truly felt the joy with me. She made me feel like I mattered to her. She took the time to learn about my condition and my operation so she could better understand how to help me and provide information to the doctor treating me as well.

She has always gone above and beyond for me and my family. I can remember another time I was violently ill, in excruciating pain, and vomiting. She taught me a trick I still use to this day to help with my nausea when I am maxed out on my nausea meds. She sat with me after my nausea was under control, and talked to me about school, my future plans, and completely took my mind off of the pain within a few minutes. She's always made sure I had access to the internet and tv to help distract me from my pain. She would even tell jokes to make me smile. She also remembered every time she took care of me, that I was afraid of getting IVs, and she would be extra gentle with me, explain everything thoroughly, and even teach me the mechanics of the IV to alleviate my fears. She did all of that out of the goodness of her heart.

I have been treated by countless doctors and nurses over the years and have easily made over 50 trips to the ER, and Marsha is the one nurse who has truly made a difference in my life. Each time she has treated me, she has gone absolutely above and beyond and shown selfless compassion, even on her busiest of days. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Marsha Lehman.