I nominate COL Lena Gaudreau for her caring and compassionate care during my daughter's recent critical illness and hospitalization. In October of last year I started my Army Nurse career. Orientation began, and things were going well. Then my teenage daughter J got sick! No big deal, kids get sick, right? Only my Jessica had been on chemo to kill her cancer, so when she got sick she had no immune system. Truth is, we've been here before, spike a fever, and spend a week or two in the hospital. I was hoping it would be just a couple of days, that she wouldn't miss Halloween.

When they transferred J to the PICU, those hopes were gone. She developed pneumonia, and quickly went downhill. The doctors were fighting to find a treatment to save my daughter's life, and her condition worsened every day. Meanwhile I was sleeping in the hospital chair-bed, waking up to alarms throughout the night, rubbing my daughter's head into the wee hours of the morning, holding her hand, getting her cool wet rags for her head, and other things a parent does for their sick child. Then I would get up exhausted in the morning and put on my uniform in the hallway family bathroom. I would kiss my daughter goodbye, and she would grab my hand and beg me not to go. I was thankful to know the staff was being very aggressive in her care, and that she was in very capable hands, but I worried. I wanted to know what was going on when it happened. I wanted to be there for the bronchoscopies, the x-rays, CT scans, IVs, PICC lines, intubations, and most of all, the decisions and updates. I wanted to be there for my little girl who was so brave. I felt lost and out of the loop. I worked just around the corner, and I could see her everyday but I was distracted, and scared. When I looked at my daughter, I felt she had received a death sentence. I was told multiple times that while my daughter was sick I could take time off, but I was afraid to ask. I was scared because I was a new employee, I didn't want my absence at work to be what I was known for, and I wanted to be an asset, not a hindrance to the mission. I needed to work to fulfill my obligation, but my daughter begged and pleaded with me "Don't go Mom, I need you" and "Don't leave me" as she weakly squeezed my hand. I was overwhelmed and so afraid.

Then one morning I received a message indirectly from COL Gaudreau. She had directed that I was to be by my daughter's side during her illness, that I was to be taken care of so that I could take care of my family. I felt such a relief I wanted to cry. I was told to go back to my daughter, and focus on her - that was my new assignment. The days to come were awful and wonderful, a rollercoaster of emotions. My daughter was in the hospital for 78 days, 67 of those were in PICU.

COL Gaudreau visited my daughter, my husband and me so many of those days! She always asked what she could do, or get for me, or what other staff could do to help us. She was present and compassionate at my daughter's bedside. She checked on us so many times she was like another bedside nurse, providing nurturing support and caring above and beyond what any nurse is expected to do! I was amazed, because she has an enormous responsibility to all nurses and Madigan, yet here she was at our bedside, ensuring we were coping, that we were safe, that we were taken care of. The act that impacted me the most was Col Gaudreau's strong advocacy for us as a family to move from Tumwater to on-post housing. This helped us stay close as a family, balance the needs of our son and be available to J for emergencies.

The truth is, I can't even imagine how much worse it would have been if I had to suffer hours of the unknown each day I was away from my daughter. Everyday my daughter was in the ICU was long, but I was able to be a part of my daughter's care and help make life and death decisions because of COL Gaudreau's advocacy of what I needed to do. COL Gaudreau exemplifies exceptional nursing care and she positively affected my family's life by committing to ensuring I spent what was perhaps Jessica's last moments together. I am happy to say Jessica pulled through and is gaining strength every day!

I want to commend COL Lena Gaudreau for her compassionate care during my daughter's recent critical illness and hospitalization. She is a role model for all nurses at Madigan and she taught me the true meaning of compassion and advocacy. I can only hope to be at least half the nurse leader COL Gaudreau has proven to be.