I was 23 weeks pregnant when I delivered my baby that I only knew about for a week and a half. Needless to say, I was absolutely terrified that my baby was early and had to immediately go to the NICU, and I couldn’t see him right away because I had a fever that I needed to be cleared from.

Victoria was the first nurse my baby had and when I finally got to see him she was there. She could tell all of the equipment was overwhelming me and she went step-by-step slowly explaining each machine and every wire to me. If I had a question she would explain it in words I would understand and if she wasn’t sure right then, she would always make it a priority to find the answer. We were lucky enough to have her as his nurse for the days she worked. She was learning his traits and how he acted.

One day she came in and noticed his belly seemed hard and bloated. Also, his energy level was decreased which was not normal for our fiesty boy. I just thought maybe his body was tired but Victoria held off on his morning feeding and told the doctor her concern. They x-rayed his stomach and found out that his bowel had a perforation and he went in for surgery. If it wasn’t for her quick observation, our son could have had a very different outcome.

Anytime she is his nurse, I know she will be very thorough and put her best effort into her job. Her bedside manners are almost unparalleled; she is honest with a dash of empathy. She is amazing at talking me down and calming me after the surgeons come in. She was my introduction to the NICU and I don’t think anyone else would have been able to balance calming us, educating us, always keeping us updated, and even making us laugh. She is a precious soul and an amazing nurse and we can tell she is truly passionate about her career. She absolutely deserves to be recognized for her amazing nursing skills. We could never thank her enough.