Samantha Jackson
August 2024
Samantha
Jackson
,
BSN, RN
Neonatal ICU
UK HealthCare
Lexington
,
KY
United States
We laughed, we cried and went through every emotion together. It was a different kind of friendship- she was with me during the darkest days of my life and was just such a light. It is a friendship that I value even to this day.
Samantha Jackson truly holds one of the most important parts of my heart for all of the incredible things she did for my daughter over her 135 days in the NICU. When I try to encompass what she means to me and my family, I honestly can’t even put it into words. I have tried numerous times to start this nomination, and I just get stumped- how do you put into words the appreciation and love you have for someone who poured their heart and soul into saving your child’s life? I could provide unlimited examples of how she went above and beyond to provide the most extraordinary care for my daughter, but I want to share some of the highlights that stand out to me throughout our journey.
My daughter was born at 24 weeks and everything was stacked against her, time and time again we were told horrible things and possible outcomes but Samantha remained steady and calm. I remember meeting Samantha at 4:30 in the morning when we were able to see my daughter for the first time- she wasn’t even her nurse, but Samantha still came in and talked with us and told us just how incredible she was and we laughed that even the tiniest little peanut was in her bed kicking up a storm. She told me that night during all the bells and sounds to “watch your nurse, if we are calm then you can be calm that this was going to happen a lot and be a long process.” I trusted her that night and relied on those statements continuously.
The second night, Samantha was my daughter’s nurse for the first time, and I remember her coming in a couple of days later and telling us that she had picked her up as a primary, something that she rarely did. She emphasized that there was just something about her that she wanted and needed to be a part of. That felt automatically special that at only one day old this tiny girl of mine that reached hearts and had people believing in her.
The first few weeks and months of my daughter’s stay are so fuzzy in my mind, there was so much going on but somehow I remember the love that Samantha showed my daughter. She poured her heart into her day in and day out. She picked up an unbelievable amount of overtime, so the bond that Samantha had with my family was incredible. She made sure that my daughter received the best of the best. She advocated for her, was able to pick up on anything that changed in her.
I can recall at one point, my daughter had been really off, and Samantha continued to tell and tell her provider at the time. They kept pushing it off and kind of putting it on the back burner until they finally pushed Samantha to tears. I remember Samantha telling her “I am with her all day every day, I know something isn’t right.” Once they realized how passionate she was, they gave my daughter fluids, and it fixed the issue almost immediately. She was so passionate and she showed me that I needed to continue voicing my concerns and expressing my opinion in her care because we were there all day every day and could see what was going on. These moments where she was willing to step out and advocate made all the difference in my daughter’s care and I am so incredibly grateful that she wasn’t afraid to take this stance.
Samantha also decorated her room in extreme detail with elaborate wall décor to match the seasons and holidays. It made her room feel so inviting and I can’t even put into words the difference it made in our stay. We had Valentine’s Day cards for fourteen days counting down to Valentine’s Day (cards were even left with other nurses when she couldn’t be there), leprechauns with our nurse’s and family’s faces, an Easter Bunny with my daughter’s face, and a giant watermelon display. Everyone in the unit came by to see these displays and they mean so much to me. I can’t wait to show and share these with my daughter when she’s older.
One of the most important things that Samantha did was take care of me. I legitimately feel like she put me back together. Having a child in the NICU is traumatizing, and the amount of pain, guilt, and fear you have is completely overwhelming, but somehow, she always knew exactly what to say. One of my favorite nights of the week was when Samantha would work Thursday evenings, and we would sit and talk after she had downtime. We talked about my daughter, her sons, our family, and just so many things that made me feel like a human again. We laughed, we cried and went through every emotion together. It was a different kind of friendship- she was with me during the darkest days of my life and was just such a light. It is a friendship that I value even to this day. Even two years later, she has come to my home and visited our family, attended birthday parties, and checked in on a regular basis.
I will end with this: I vividly remember a conversation that meant more to me than anything else. Close to when we were going home, Samantha told me that when she originally picked my daughter, one of the other nurses asked her, “Why pick that baby up as a primary when she is just going to die?” and Samantha's response was “If that happens, she will have someone with her every day who loves her and is going to give her all that she can.” If that alone doesn’t speak to how deserving Samantha is, then nothing will. Samantha knew from the beginning that everything was stacked against my daughter, but she still fought to provide the best care possible for her- which is why she is thriving two years later. I cannot think of anyone more deserving and perfectly suited for a DAISY Award!
My daughter was born at 24 weeks and everything was stacked against her, time and time again we were told horrible things and possible outcomes but Samantha remained steady and calm. I remember meeting Samantha at 4:30 in the morning when we were able to see my daughter for the first time- she wasn’t even her nurse, but Samantha still came in and talked with us and told us just how incredible she was and we laughed that even the tiniest little peanut was in her bed kicking up a storm. She told me that night during all the bells and sounds to “watch your nurse, if we are calm then you can be calm that this was going to happen a lot and be a long process.” I trusted her that night and relied on those statements continuously.
The second night, Samantha was my daughter’s nurse for the first time, and I remember her coming in a couple of days later and telling us that she had picked her up as a primary, something that she rarely did. She emphasized that there was just something about her that she wanted and needed to be a part of. That felt automatically special that at only one day old this tiny girl of mine that reached hearts and had people believing in her.
The first few weeks and months of my daughter’s stay are so fuzzy in my mind, there was so much going on but somehow I remember the love that Samantha showed my daughter. She poured her heart into her day in and day out. She picked up an unbelievable amount of overtime, so the bond that Samantha had with my family was incredible. She made sure that my daughter received the best of the best. She advocated for her, was able to pick up on anything that changed in her.
I can recall at one point, my daughter had been really off, and Samantha continued to tell and tell her provider at the time. They kept pushing it off and kind of putting it on the back burner until they finally pushed Samantha to tears. I remember Samantha telling her “I am with her all day every day, I know something isn’t right.” Once they realized how passionate she was, they gave my daughter fluids, and it fixed the issue almost immediately. She was so passionate and she showed me that I needed to continue voicing my concerns and expressing my opinion in her care because we were there all day every day and could see what was going on. These moments where she was willing to step out and advocate made all the difference in my daughter’s care and I am so incredibly grateful that she wasn’t afraid to take this stance.
Samantha also decorated her room in extreme detail with elaborate wall décor to match the seasons and holidays. It made her room feel so inviting and I can’t even put into words the difference it made in our stay. We had Valentine’s Day cards for fourteen days counting down to Valentine’s Day (cards were even left with other nurses when she couldn’t be there), leprechauns with our nurse’s and family’s faces, an Easter Bunny with my daughter’s face, and a giant watermelon display. Everyone in the unit came by to see these displays and they mean so much to me. I can’t wait to show and share these with my daughter when she’s older.
One of the most important things that Samantha did was take care of me. I legitimately feel like she put me back together. Having a child in the NICU is traumatizing, and the amount of pain, guilt, and fear you have is completely overwhelming, but somehow, she always knew exactly what to say. One of my favorite nights of the week was when Samantha would work Thursday evenings, and we would sit and talk after she had downtime. We talked about my daughter, her sons, our family, and just so many things that made me feel like a human again. We laughed, we cried and went through every emotion together. It was a different kind of friendship- she was with me during the darkest days of my life and was just such a light. It is a friendship that I value even to this day. Even two years later, she has come to my home and visited our family, attended birthday parties, and checked in on a regular basis.
I will end with this: I vividly remember a conversation that meant more to me than anything else. Close to when we were going home, Samantha told me that when she originally picked my daughter, one of the other nurses asked her, “Why pick that baby up as a primary when she is just going to die?” and Samantha's response was “If that happens, she will have someone with her every day who loves her and is going to give her all that she can.” If that alone doesn’t speak to how deserving Samantha is, then nothing will. Samantha knew from the beginning that everything was stacked against my daughter, but she still fought to provide the best care possible for her- which is why she is thriving two years later. I cannot think of anyone more deserving and perfectly suited for a DAISY Award!