Mary Hong, RN

My 11-year-old daughter was transferred to Rady Children's early in the morning. Note that I was up all night long at a different hospital. My baby was initially in the ER at a different hospital and was diagnosed with pneumonia. You can just imagine how worried, exhausted, and nervous I was. I prayed my baby would get better soon. All this changed when I met Mary Hong! She was just a light of joy! A ray of sunshine! An angel!

Although everyone at Rady's did make my stay an awesome experience, Mary did go out of her way to always make me and my baby feel loved and safe. She right away asked if I needed any snacks while I waited for my breakfast. I was grateful because I was indeed hungry. She was so thoughtful. Mary was always so careful and gentle when caring for my baby. You can tell she loves what she does. Mary would always check in if everything was ok. She made me feel my baby was going to be ok and in no time we were cleared to go home. Truly an angel! She would make me feel so good about how great a mom I am. That made me feel good because, no matter what, as a parent, anything that happens to your child, you can't help but feel it's your fault.

When it was time for my baby to be discharged, it was a bittersweet moment. She went on and explained everything. I understood everything clearly. I was so joyful that we were leaving, but I couldn't help that I would miss Mary! She wished us the best, and I couldn't help myself, and I gave her a hug. She returned the hug and felt like family. In just a short time, this human being brought so much into our lives. We will never forget Mary!