There were several nurses that we developed great relationships with, but one in particular that we’d like to recognize for going above and beyond our expectations. Due to complications, our twins were born far earlier than we expected at only 25 weeks and 6 days. Becky Zimmerman was one of the first nurses to care for our twins. It was obvious to us right away (and more so later on) how quickly she bonded with our kids, caring for them as if they were her own. As parents new to this type of situation, it took us some time to settle into the reality of an extended stay in the NICU (100+ days). There is so much information thrown at you right off the bat that is very overwhelming. From the start, Becky very patiently walked us through everything about the NICU. We can’t recall all of the seemingly endless questions we asked early on, but we do remember they were all answered and/or explained very clearly and patiently, even as tedious as they must have been. We wanted to do anything and everything we could for our kids in the NICU, and Becky always encouraged us to be involved in all of the hands-on care, even when it would have been (completely rationally due to our inexperience) easier and faster for her to just do it herself. After a few weeks, we found out that we could request nurses to consistently care for our babies. Becky was at the top of our list, and as it turned out, she had already requested to care for them as well. The first several weeks were terrifying as parents. It's a helpless feeling coming into the room every day hearing alarms constantly ringing and the unforgettable sound of the ventilators keeping our children alive. As much as we wanted to, with another 4-year-old at home, we couldn't be in the NICU 24/7. It was extremely difficult to leave our kids each day, but it was blatantly clear that at that point the nurses could care for them far better than we could. At no point did we ever question the care our twins received, but it was always extra comforting when Becky was there. She knew more about their tendencies and reactions than anyone else. This was especially evident after a very difficult day for our son. After a difficult night, he had to be re-intubated (later it was determined to be a staph infection in his respiratory system). Becky was scheduled for a shorter shift that day but when she noticed that a nurse who had never been with our kids before would be taking care of them, she took on additional hours without hesitation (we found out afterward) to stay with him during that difficult time. There is no measure of how grateful that made us feel. In this instance, and many more in the future, she openly brainstormed ideas as to what was going on and worked directly with the doctors to adjust the treatment when necessary. As we're sure this is not unique in the NICU, our kids kept everyone on their toes in terms of their care. Some treatments (medications, diet, etc.) worked for a day or even a few days but then would need to be changed. Becky's overall expertise, and experience with our kids, enabled her to fearlessly advocate for what was best for our twins. Several times she talked to the doctors and dieticians to reevaluate the care for our kids when she noticed small changes in our babies. She was always a large part of formulating and improving plans to make sure our kids were receiving the best care possible. We had to make a lot of decisions as parents during our kids' stay, Becky was always an incredible sounding board when we weren’t completely sure about the choices we had to make. She never pushed anything, but instead always offered an abundance of information to help us feel comfortable in the decisions we made. Becky is an amazing nurse, and we truly believe that any family that receives her care is lucky to have it. When we were finally able to bring our twins home, we couldn't help but feel the love from Becky, and all the staff, as we walked out those doors. The NICU is an amazing place, staffed by incredible people (not just nurses), and we can honestly say that any family that needs to use the services St. Mary's offers should be grateful for it.