It's hard to adequately put into words the immense gratitude we have for Stephanie. She was truly a blessing as we navigated an emotional rollercoaster with our son admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Stephanie went out of her way to not only provide the best care for our son, but also to make sure we were supported in every way. We were lucky enough to get Stephanie as our nurse three days in a row and it made such a positive impact. She advocated, helped us understand next steps and goals, and always made us feel that our son was in the best hands. Stephanie was a positive light in a really difficult time in our lives, and we are forever grateful for her kindness and compassion. Stephanie made our son a name tag for his bassinet that was decorated in the theme of his home nursery. It was little gestures like this that showed us what kind of people work at VCU, and Stephanie is the prime example. We had a really hard time leaving our son for any amount of time, but Stephanie taught us how to be NICU parents. She knew what to say when she could tell I was having an emotional day, she supported my postpartum healing, and made sure I had everything I needed, all while providing exceptional care to our son.

One day, she knew I was missing my daughter at home. Stephanie asked about her and talked about how great of a big sister she would be. This small act of kindness got me through a tough day. When it came time for her to have a few days off, we weren't sure what we would do without her because of the enormous role she was playing in our lives. As she left, I joked with her that I was going to have separation anxiety, but that was sort of true- she provided such comfort for us.

Anyone who has the opportunity to be a patient of Stephanie, a coworker of Stephanie, or anyone lucky enough to have Stephanie on their team... will truly be blessed. We are confident Stephanie was a gift from God that we needed during this challenging time in our lives. She will always have a special place in our hearts. Thank you, Stephanie, for truly going above and beyond.