I was a patient at Women's Hospital of Texas to deliver my twin boys. I was feeding my newborn son when he went limp in my arms and appeared to stop breathing. I pressed the nurse call button on the bed and notified them of the situation. The first responder was Nurse Kaitlyn Ritzen. Panicked I handed the baby to her and I will forever have the image of the urgent but gentle look on her face as she took my son from my arms, examined him, then began to work on him. She remained calm and took charge of the situation while I watched helplessly. My son responded and recovered from the situation thankfully. After it was announced to all that he was okay, I sat back on the bed full of emotions and feelings of self-blame. Kaitlyn noticed my distress and asked if I wanted to hold my baby. This was the best thing anyone could have done to help calm me down. I carried my baby and hugged him while we waited for the transport team to take him to NICU for observation. I was in very bad shape emotionally and it would have been worse if I were not holding my baby.

I would like to recognize Kaitlyn for her professionalism, kindness, thoughtfulness, and most of all, her compassion in my situation. Her competence as a nurse and ability to go above and beyond her role by showing extraordinary compassion to me make her a great role model for others in the profession. Kudos all the way!