My 4-year-old niece S, was admitted for an abscess and several infections. S was scared, in pain and confused, and subsequently had to have IV antibiotics for 14 days straight, a surgery, have two teeth removed, and spent 10 days in your Pediatrics unit. It was a terrible time for all involved, including my sister who was incredibly distressed for her daughter. In addition, to add to her fear, my sister and I have an unfortunate history with infections as we lost our brother 42 years ago when he died at the age of ten of Sepsis after stepping on a rusty nail. Unfortunately, rare and random things occur in this life, as I am sure you well know from all you see in your daily work. Needless to say, all of this combined made for an especially stressful and alarming situation for our family.
I am writing specifically to commend Nancy Ruiz, RN on her expert care. I cannot imagine what this situation would have been like without the support, guidance, education, experience, kindness, and love for both my sister and for S from Nurse Ruiz. I have never seen a nurse as amazing as her, and truly, her expert professional care helped make a frightening situation manageable. She went above and beyond, and honestly became a beacon of hope for my sister and me, but also became S's favorite nurse. In addition, when S was at her worst, she would allow Nurse Ruiz to help when she would not allow others. S simply felt more at ease when Nurse Ruiz walked into the room. Both my sister and I felt it was important to share this with you, as well as others at the hospital. This woman is an incredible asset to your organization. We also wanted to share that we are so thankful for the care and support that we received from the many physicians and several other nurses. Yet, my sister, S, nor I have been able to stop talking about Nurse Ruiz. She is simply incredible! Her service is extraordinary and worth honoring!