The entire night staff was incredible. My daughter was the patient, and she has nonverbal Level 3 autism. Anything related to medical care absolutely terrifies her.

We were preparing to insert her third IV of her hospital stay after she had pulled out the first two. As everyone was getting ready, her headphones suddenly died. She relies on listening to Taylor Swift to help keep herself calm, and without them, I knew this was going to be even more difficult.

In that moment, the entire group of nurses—four of them in total—did something I will never forget. Instead of allowing the situation to become more frightening for my daughter, they began singing her favorite Taylor Swift songs while placing the IV. Their kindness, creativity, and willingness to meet her where she was emotionally transformed what could have been a traumatic experience into one filled with compassion and genuine human connection.

We had Shannon as our night nurse for two nights, and while every nurse we encountered, both day and night, was wonderful, Shannon stood out in an extraordinary way. She cared for my daughter with so much love, patience, and understanding, always recognizing and respecting her unique needs as a child with autism. She never treated my daughter as a diagnosis—she treated her as a little girl who deserved to feel safe, understood, and cared for.

Shannon also cared for me, her mother, with incredible compassion. She brought a sense of peace during one of the most difficult experiences our family has faced. She made us laugh when we desperately needed to laugh, and she sat with us through the moments when we needed to cry. Her presence made an overwhelming hospital stay feel just a little bit lighter.

I would also like to recognize the charge nurse. Her nickname was Scout.  She was the very first person to jump in and start singing to my daughter while actively placing an IV in her ankle. Her willingness to connect with my daughter in that moment spoke volumes about the kind of nurse and leader she is.

The following night, I happened to see her again in passing. She smiled and said, "I heard our girl did so good today with her IV. I'm so proud of her."

To many people, that may seem like a simple comment. But as the mother of a child with severe autism, those words meant everything. Knowing that someone who had only met my daughter briefly the night before not only remembered her but had celebrated her progress and was genuinely proud of her filled my heart in a way I can't adequately describe. It showed me just how deeply the staff cared about my daughter—not simply as a patient, but as a person.

Compassion is such an important part of nursing, and these nurses embodied it in every interaction. Their kindness, empathy, and willingness to go beyond clinical care made an immeasurable difference for both my daughter and our family.

Thank you to Shannon, Scout, and the entire night shift team for working so hard to keep my daughter as happy, comfortable, and calm as she could possibly be. Your compassion will stay with our family forever.