During our son's stay at the Ascension St. Vincent Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, it became clear that not only does McKenzie perform her job at an exemplary level but demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to the families of her patients.
In a matter of 72 hours, our lives were turned upside down as we welcomed our son eight and a half weeks early. The ease of the first 31 weeks of pregnancy was quickly replaced by neonatologist consults and an emergency C-section. As avid planners, we quickly learned that when it comes to childbirth, there is no such thing.
While almost no one expects their child to spend time in the NICU, it is made easier with the comfort of knowing they are in the best possible care. And while each caregiver we have come across at Ascension St. Vincent has provided that comfort to us, none have done so much as McKenzie has.
McKenzie quickly stepped in as our son's primary nurse, and her steadfast support throughout his entire NICU stay was an invaluable gift that we will always be grateful for. We will never forget the day that we arrived at the NICU to see that our son had his CPAP removed and McKenzie helped us give him his first bath. Or the stretch of time that McKenzie was away while sick, and how anxious we were for her return.
Little things, like our Valentine's Day and St. Patty's Day craft "from" our son or making sure his NicView camera was always positioned correctly so our family members that hadn't yet been able to meet him could see him, may seem inconsequential to others but meant the world to us. As our son's NICU stay continued on longer than we had expected it to, McKenzie became our rock and her positive energy always helped us remain focused on the goal.
It is obvious that McKenzie truly cares for each of her patients and goes above and beyond to do what she can to keep them, and their family members, comfortable during such uncertain and vulnerable times. She excels at maintaining utmost professionalism and standard of care while providing the compassion families need during a NICU stay. She is a great communicator and was always eager to answer any question that we had. We truly felt at ease knowing that our son was in her care.
McKenzie's heart is unmatched. She radiates warmth and joy, and she turned what could have been some of our darkest days into a time that we will look back on with a smile. Her care for our son will be something that we will never forget. We no longer look at McKenzie as just our son's nurse, but someone who is ingrained into our family and someone we consider a lifelong friend. We look forward to the day that our son can meet her again and thank her, himself, for all that she did for him, and we could not think of another person more deserving of this recognition than she is. She is a tremendous member of your organization!