Late one night, N was admitted through the Emergency Department for stroke-like symptoms. For many, going to the hospital can be scary and for N, it was also overwhelming. With a diagnosis of high functioning autism, the work of our high-quality, efficient teams caused heightened anxiety. When he arrived on the inpatient Pediatric Unit, he was having difficulty making connections and communicating. That's when N met Becca Canipe.
Becca made an instant connection with N, meeting him with a big smile, and commenting on his cartoon-character socks while getting him settled. It was clear to his mother, H, that N began to calm immediately. Becca further built on this connection by discussing a recent cartoon TV episode that featured the very same characters. Each night N looked forward to seeing Becca.
H commented, "As a mom, it was so nice to see how caring and helpful she was - an amazing nurse and person."
The impact that Becca had on N was so great that both he and his mother nominated her for a DAISY Award. N reflected on her care in his nomination stating, "Becca was a great friend. She cared deeply about my condition, her compassion was immense, and it was nice to feel so relieved to be in good hands."
Becca - we are so proud of the care you gave to N, and his mom. We appreciate all you did to calm an overwhelming situation. Job well done!