Melissa and another nurse made the right decisions at the right time to save our son's life after he had an event during his stay in the PICU (one of the triplets). Our son was on the ventilator and had aspirated. This blocked the tube, limiting oxygen flow. They made a quick decision to pull out the tube, call code (to get the right people there quickly), bag him, and start chest compressions until he was able to get a new tube in place. Because of their quick response, extensive training, and experience, this critical situation was resolved very quickly.

It's not just her extensive skillset as an intensive care nurse that gives her the DAISY Award. What sets her apart from many others is her soft and loving personality. She truly has a heart of gold.

Having identical triplets all in the hospital at the same time presents a great number of challenges for us as parents. Especially difficult, is choosing to leave them behind each night when we go home with our 20-month-old daughter. Melissa is the type of person you would trust with your own life and with the care of your children. Knowing that she was standing watch, gave us comfort through the night. She truly treats every one of our boys like her own.

It warms our heart to know that such an amazingly caring person can react in such emergent situations, stay calm and perform the appropriate tasks and be the warmest individual you have ever met. She has made our time here feel like we are with family.