... My friends came in the hospital knowing there was a likelihood of complications occurring with the birth of their unborn son J, as the ultrasound indicated he had a significant cleft palette. As you can imagine, there was quite a bit of anxiety mixed with excitement and happiness. So, with Danielle's clinical savvy and excellent people skills, she made sure the event was joyful. The birth went well and J had no airway problems but was taken to the NICU shortly after his birth for observation.

Shortly after the birth, the mom had a reaction to some medication and the ACT team was called, and mom was eventually moved to the ICU. As you can imagine, happiness shifted to fear and this is where Danielle and her extraordinary DAISY nursing made a huge impact. In addition to calming the family and comforting this new mother, Danielle made sure that the pieces were in place so that the mom could see the baby before she went up to the ICU. While this might not seem like a big deal, it was huge because this mom had been able to hold the baby for a few moments before they took him to the NICU. Although the family was prepared for the NICU, they were not prepared for an ICU visit that resulted in the separation from J.

Danielle's clinical expertise, combined with her compassion, allowed her to recognize that the stress of this event was causing a ton of angst for this family and she stepped in, ensuring that both the physical and psychosocial needs of this new mom were met. Providing an opportunity for the mom to see the baby before she went to the ICU had a huge impact on the parents and helped them decrease their anxiety about not being able to be with the baby and experience a "normal birth". I don't quite know how to convey the impact Danielle's compassion had on this family. Danielle took a difficult situation and made it tolerable. While little J will not remember any of this, the parents will remember these events for a lifetime.

More importantly, they remember that what got them through this difficult time was the compassion and genuine caring of one extraordinary nurse named Danielle Alas' ability to connect with the family, her upbeat contagious positive attitude, conveying that she was right there with them throughout this ordeal, combined with her clinical expertise and professionalism, made this "bump in the road" bearable.

Danielle is indeed and extraordinary nurse and clearly demonstrates all the "super-human" attributes of the DAISY Honoree. Please recognize her ability to combine clinical expertise with the art of nursing and touch the lives of many.