Melissa Mullen is amazing for so many reasons, but her ability to fall in love with and provide selfless care to our long-term "chronic" patients is unmatched. She takes on these babies that have been here the longest and not only loves them like they are her own but also takes care of their families. She advocates for these babies and their best interests no matter what she thinks they need.

There was a patient that was the most recent, of many long-term babies, whom I had the privilege of watching Melissa care for and she not only provided quality nursing care but she went above and beyond to make sure that he always had what he needed in all aspects. For example, she helped set up a photo shoot for his first Thanksgiving and printed the pictures for his mother, she bought and decorated his very first Christmas tree and she made sure he had on a cute outfit every day. I think the greatest thing she did for him was make sure he got held and snuggled and that he knew every day that he was loved, even when his family couldn't be there. She would talk to him and sing to him and his face would just light up every time she came into the room. He knew who Melissa was and he loved her just as much as she loved him. His best days were when he has his "aunt Lissa" as his nurse.

Melissa is a great reminder to all of us that what we do is so much more than just a task list and I am so proud to call her my co-worker. The world would be a better place if we had more Melissas in it. Thank you for being you and taking such great care of these babies!