Natalie has worked at Children’s for some time now, first as a CNA and now as an RN. During her relatively short time as an RN, Natalie cared for two of our PICU patients who passed away within the last few weeks. She has truly gone above and beyond while caring for these little ones and their families. Natalie provided a warm, caring environment and made the families feel loved and supported amid a terrible situation.

Children’s is full of attentive nurses, and Natalie is one of the best. With her own creative spirit, she crafted beautiful memories by making objects for these families to cherish forever. The little girl used her footprints to create artwork of Elsa and an angel. She went a step further and laminated them so they would be preserved forever. They were beautiful, and I had never seen anything like them. For the little boy, Natalie picked up several extra shifts to care for him so his family would have continuity of care while going through the organ donation process. True to her creative and caring nature, Natalie made ornaments using vials, a printed strip of his heartbeat, a heart made from his fingerprints, beads spelling his name, and ribbon. In addition, she put together a shadow box with his picture and things he enjoyed. As a final touch, she made bracelets with his name for his parents and sisters. His family was moved to tears when she presented these items from his memory.

In all my time as a Children’s employee, I have never seen a nurse use her creative and caring energy to this extent. When I say above and beyond, I truly mean above and beyond. I am deeply honored to be working alongside Natalie and hope to do so for many years to come.