I'd like to acknowledge the NTCU nursing staff at Salem Hospital for the outstanding care they provided my son, T. Their professionalism and compassion to T and our family is greatly appreciated more than you will ever know.

I'd like to give a special recognition to Kim Mullins. Although there were several nurses involved in T's care, Kim stood out from the rest. She not only provided T exceptional medical care, she also provided emotional support for all of us. T was not just a patient; she truly cared about him. We were not just a patient's family; we were T's family.

As we know, T's behaviors did not make him the easiest patient at times. Kim had a way with T and oftentimes could redirect T's behaviors with her calming voice and actions. Many call her "Kim, the T Whisperer". T responded well to her and they had a special bond. T would often reward Kim with a smile as she walked into the room. When his behaviors built to a point of no return, this bothered Kim as she worked hard to keep him out of restraints, oftentimes resulting in her apologizing to our family because she had to call Security for assistance.

Being that I spent a lot of time down at the hospital with T, Kim and I also built a great bond. When it had been a bad day, she would catch me in the room or in the hallway and give me one of her special hugs. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other. What a pleasure that was.

Kim volunteered to be his nurse on the day the gentleman from the Centre of Neuro Skills (NCS) came to assess Tim. She wanted to be there for Tim. When the trip had to be delayed to a day which happened to be Kim's day off, not only did Kim come in anyway, she fulfilled a promise to Tim by bringing in her baby daughter for him to meet.

Kim also volunteered to be T's nurse on the day he was discharged by air ambulance to NCS in Bakersfield, California. There was a ton of preparation work that came with the discharge and Kim anxiously accepted it. She was there until the end for T. What a great send-off.

While we were going through the assessment stages at NCS, there were many questions about T's behaviors that I could not answer. There was only one person who could truly provide the most comprehensive information to the Behaviors Coordinator. Kim graciously agreed to talk with the coordinator and was a huge amount of help.

I wish I could point out every kind, loving, compassionate thing that Kim has done for T and our family. What I can say is that I am truly grateful for Kim. She will always have a special place in my heart.

Thank you NTCU staff and a special thank you to Kim!