I first want to start off by saying all the nurses in the PICU department are AMAZING! They truly go above and beyond their job duties. I was fortunate enough to meet Rachel Trejano from PICU. She was on my son’s case for two days and within those two days, she was able to make a special connection with my son E and my husband and me. She has a natural ability to build rapport and has an amazing personality that connected with my son. My son has an extremely rare undiagnosed disorder and unfortunately has had many doctor visits and ER visits. Rachel took the time to read my son’s long medical history record and asked clarifying questions and wanted to know more. That immediately made my husband and I feel like she truly cared and that she was 100% dedicated to the case since she took the time to know about him before she even met him. She included my husband and I and even our son in all the conversations and explained everything in detail. We had many questions and she never complained. If anything she would go above and beyond to find us the answers. Furthermore, since my son was on a no-liquid or food diet since he was prepping for a surgical procedure his patience was on the low end. Not once did she ever give up. On the contrary, she tried to find ways to distract him and make him feel more comfortable. She got to know what he likes and doesn’t like and always made sure to accommodate him. She would check in consistently and when I called for assistance she would always respond right away. My son was definitely spoiled that day.

The next day my son was placed on a ventilator and had a PICC line, Arterial line, and chest tube. In short, he had a lot going on and it broke my heart to see him that way. My husband and I had a very long night and did not get any sleep. I felt helpless and exhausted. However, when I found out in the morning, I had Rachel on my son's case and with extra support (Love Han) I had a sense of relief since Rachel already knew my son pretty well. In addition, I felt as if I had a friend. Well, two friends. They not only checked in on my son but also on my husband and me. They always made sure we were comfortable and that we were involved in every decision made and if we did not understand something they would clarify in detail.

Rachel and Love were always available when needed and would not leave my son's sight. They would respond super fast in any slight movement of vitals and knowing that they were super active made me feel comfortable to get some rest. So I finally rested and felt so much better. It filled my heart with joy to watch them both treat my son as if he was their very own. More importantly, despite the circumstances my son was in with the ventilator they would talk to him and check in on him and make him feel less anxious and part of the process. They would make sure to look at all of his vitals, IV incisions, chest hole where the drain was and all physical signs with detail. They were very thorough and if anything, new came up they would point it out to us and explain it in detail. They would follow up with the doctors when needed or regarding concerns and then would always return with answers to us.

To summarize, Rachel and Love were more than just nurses, they were a friend and second mommy to my son. They deserve all my gratitude, respect, and love. They were both meant to be nurses and I know they will continue impacting families and children throughout their careers.