The daisy flower symbolizes innocence, purity, and new beginnings. So, it is fitting that through the most challenging, life-changing, whirlwind new beginning of our lives that Vickie Gardner has been consistently there making our days a little brighter. We know Vickie is more than deserving of the DAISY award for making an unforgettable impact on our family's lives.

Our K was born at 28 weeks and 3 days gestation, weighing just 1 lb. and 5 ounces. K's NICU journey has been nothing short of a miraculous rollercoaster, with incredibly hopeful highs and at times dreadful lows, full of mystery and then an exceedingly rare chromosomal syndrome that she was diagnosed with as18 p deletion syndrome. 1 in 50,000 live-born infants. The first case ETCH NICU has seen. Throughout K's incredibly long 7-month NICU stay and counting, Vickie has loved K as her own, going above and beyond to understand every single aspect of K's care and doing it flawlessly. She advocates for K when we cannot be there every hour of the day and is one of our biggest cheerleaders in preparing us for life outside of the NICU with a medically fragile child. Vickie carefully handcrafts K unique pieces of clothing, holiday-themed outfits, and costumes when literally no other clothing would fit her micro preemie body. K is 7 months old weighing 6 lbs. 15 ounces. Vickie's level of thoughtfulness is unmatched.

The NICU can bring some of the darkest days in a worried parent's life, but Vickie continues to be a ray of sunshine brightening each day, reminding us that there's so much to be thankful for. We know nothing we can say or do will ever be enough for Vickie. 

Note: This is Vickie's 2nd DAISY Award!