Our son LOVES “Miss Renee” (He’s told us so himself). She had cared for him when he was just a baby and was an excellent nurse at that time as well. However, now our little guy is a toddler with a FULL personality. She didn’t technically care for him during his initial Fontan recovery, but took it upon herself to supervise playroom time when he was missed on the volunteer schedule on one of the first days he was feeling up to truly playing. That left quite an impression on him, in and of itself.

Upon our arrival for a readmission due to pleural effusions, his favorite tricycle was waiting in his room, and Renee quickly followed that act by bringing in a take-apart John Deere tractor. That clearly shows she knows our farm boy so well. He was so upset about being required to have another “sleepover where they poke me,” and she immediately brightened his mood before we were even settled in. Not only did she remember what our son’s interests were, but she also listened to his needs, and made sure he felt as though he was the only person she was caring for each day…even on the days she wasn’t his nurse! She knew our son got easily upset when pushing IV medications too quickly and was afraid of pumps. She would take her time slowly pushing the meds over 10-15 minutes while watching videos, playing games, or holding his hand to make him more at ease.

My son is notorious for ALWAYS being on the tricycle in the halls. He would cruise down to each pod, every day, to look for Miss Renee. One day, he found her in another pod, and told her his arm was hurting from his IV. She immediately set everything down she had in her hands and found him a new heel warmer to place over the site, which she knew brought him comfort.

A few days later, Renee was at the resource desk. I told my son’s nurse that I was running downstairs to grab lunch but would be right back. When I returned, I found out he had hit the call light because he needed someone to “help him with his Play-Doh,” and Renee had come to his rescue. He was dropping very specific requests for creations, and she gave it her absolute best effort, continuing to provide him the attention he craved until I was able to finish my meal.

She is an amazing nurse, but an even more amazing person. While chaperoning our son during each and every tricycle ride, a parent overhears and sees things, without even trying. I believe I only saw Renee sitting a handful of times during all the days she worked. One of those times was over an hour after her scheduled shift ended, because she was covering for a coworker so she wouldn’t have to miss her daughter’s first t-ball game. I cannot count the number of, “I’ll take it, Sis,” or “I can do that. No problem,” or “Here, let me do that for ya,” phrases I heard in the hallway. And they always came from Renee. And somehow, she still managed to find time to walk a lap with our son in the halls each time he asked.

We are so grateful for the care/love our son receives from each of the nurses on 4 Sutherland. Everyone knows him and takes time from their incredibly long, challenging days to stop and look at whatever he has to show off to them each trip to the pods. It means the world to us for our boy to be so loved. But Renee goes far above and beyond for her patients. I recently spoke with multiple other heart families who commented about how much they, too, loved Renee while their child was in 4 Sutherland. Seeing her interact with others while not on the unit is no different. She is sure to tell each person, “Hello,” and asks how their day is or how their family is. She makes every conversation feel as though it is the most important thing she has to do that day. Very few people would be able to successfully give others as much of her time as she does, and still be so successful at her actual “job.” She somehow does it, though, providing exceptional nursing skills, and also serving as a breath of fresh air to patients, families, and coworkers alike.