Natalie Duncan, BSN, RN, CPN

We embarked on a two-hour journey from our home with our 18-month-old daughter, who was rapidly becoming sicker and sicker during our trip. When we arrived at the hospital, our daughter was immediately placed on High-flow oxygen. She was stabilized and moved to PICU for monitoring. When we arrived in PICU, we were met by Natalie Duncan. She was the calm in the storm and was very honest. She made sure we were fully aware of the challenges we were about to face; she reassured us that she was going to take great care of our child. She did just that; to her, she was doing her job, but to us, she was doing so much more. She was in and out of our room checking settings, giving meds, advocating for her patient. She could have done all those things and been a phenomenal nurse for us, but she made sure that we, as parents, were taken care of as well. She made sure we had basic hygiene items; she made sure to remind us that there is food available and that we need to eat and that we need to rest. Natalie's compassion, care, and love are what make the toughest days bearable. She will never truly understand how much of a difference she has made in our lives, but I hope she will find comfort in knowing that she made a lifelong impact on our entire family.