Last weekend, I arrived to the emergency room at IU North with my dehydrated, vomiting 5 year old. I had to bring her little sisters along (3 and 1), as my husband was working, and my parents were in California. Needless to say, we were quite the large crew! After my daughter got hooked up to an IV and started receiving fluids, things calmed down for about 15 minutes. Then, my youngest started vomiting all over the room, followed shortly by my 3 year old. Soon, all 3 girls were literally coating the room in vomit. It was complete chaos. This is where Sam came in. Not only was she their nurse, helping with the medical side of things, but she acted like a pseudo-family member to us during this wild night. She was cleaning up vomit with me, she was giving me scrubs to change into, she even physically carried 2 of my kids to a different room while I carried the baby in order for them to have a more spacious set up. She watched them while I would sprint off to use the bathroom or change my scrubs yet again. She coordinated so many logistics for us and went above and beyond in a plethora of ways, and I honestly could not have managed without her. At 2 am, 2 of my daughters were discharged, and Sam helped my husband get everyone out to the car and then walked my 3 year old and I up to the in-patient floor. She shared some words of encouragement before we hugged goodbye, and I could not thank her enough. I come from a medical family, with a myriad of doctors and nurses, and between that and all of my kids and their appointments and hospital stays over the years, I feel like I’ve had exposure to so many healthcare providers. And I can truly say that Sam will be one that we will never forget. She is truly an amazing, compassionate, smart, and confident nurse, and I knew we were in the best hands with her on our team. I cannot recommend her for this award enough.