Will was the nurse for our daughter on the night of her birth. I was with the team for most of the night in the NICU, and it was a very busy night indeed as the team worked to get her initial IVs rolling, set her PICC line and get her ventilator set up. It may have been relatively routine for Will and the team, but for me, a new dad and an outsider unfamiliar with hospital operations let alone the NICU, it seemed like an overwhelming amount of work needed in short order that required incredible precision and coordination between team members. Will, however, ran the show that night perfectly, and even though I was overwhelmed by the amount of work being done on my daughter that night, I had a persistent feeling of peace, which I attribute in larger part to how well Will ran the night's activities. He had everyone working in harmony as he calmly and confidently called out the orders - I could tell he was in complete command of the situation. I could quickly tell that he is a leader, the kind of guy who you can't help but respect and obey without question. It was especially reassuring for me as a father to see my daughter's life in the hands of someone who, though I barely even knew, I immediately respected. Despite the busyness of the night, Will consistently took his time to calmly and clearly explain to me every step of the process, even when I was hesitant to ask, in language that I could understand. This also went a long way toward putting me at ease.
Overall, I believe Will's personal devotion to the care of our daughter that first night set the tone for our entire stay in the NICU. This first night solidified my belief that we were in the best place possible for our daughter and that she was receiving world-class care. Never once did I have to add that stress on top of everything else we were going through, but instead I was able to focus my time on connecting with my daughter rather than worrying about her care. For this and everything else above I am grateful for all Will did for our little girl that first night of her life.