My 6-week-old daughter was admitted with COVID early on Christmas morning. I was sleep deprived, terrified, missing my 3-year-old son’s first real Christmas, and struggling with having COVID myself. Needless to say, I was a wreck. From the minute we got to the room, Michelle explained everything she was doing and why. She was patient, she listened, and she answered all of my many questions without hesitation. If she didn’t know the answer, she took the extra steps to find out for me.

As a breastfeeding mom, when my daughter wasn’t eating much, she went out of her way to get me a breast pump and brought me water basically around the clock to make sure I stayed hydrated. She encouraged me to rest when she knew I needed it, even though I didn’t know how badly I needed it. One example is the afternoon of our first day. I hadn’t slept more than a few hours in the last 48 hours. I told her I had to stand up because I was worried that I might fall asleep sitting down holding my baby. Without hesitation, she took over, swaddled her up, and stood comforting her until she fell asleep so I could lay down and rest. She not only went above and beyond to take care of my daughter, but she took care of me as well. Her knowledge, skills, and passion were evident. It was obvious this was more than ‘just a job’. We need more nurses like Michelle!