My family had a 3-month journey in the NICU. When we arrived, it didn't take long to notice that Diana was an outstanding nurse. She was always caring for the baby across the hall and she was asked to insert my baby's PICC line. As we settled into our long road, we became aware of the primary nurse program. When looking to recruit primary nurses, we naturally thought of Diana, it made sense, she was always close by and willing to help. Diana is a spitfire and she cared for my baby as if he was her own. She talked to him and cuddled him.
It was my goal from the beginning to breastfeed my child, we had 9 IVF treatments to conceive our baby and I would do anything to help him as a preemie. What a tough thing to do - provide breastmilk via pumping 8 times a day! The only two rewards would be his weight gain and bonding. I was nervous and preparing myself to be disappointed that he couldn't latch. Diana was there the first day, she helped me and G latched immediately and never looked back. The real role Diana played was many weeks and days prior. She always dripped milk into G's mouth when she gave him his pacifier, then pushed him to a larger pacifier which (in hindsight) helped him breastfeed more easily.
This was one of the big things Diana did for my family, but there were many little things that also made a big difference, not just physically for my family, but emotionally. For example, making a birthday shadow box for me with G's footprints, making sure he had a swing to soothe him and offering suggestions when his progress lagged.
I want to thank Diana for the impact she has had on my family but also all the families she had touched in the NICU. Nurses are often the unsung heroes of the hospital and I truly believe Diana is representative of the care that all families deserve while they are on their NICU journey.