I had the pleasure of being present for the birth of my grandson at your hospital. All the staff in your birthing center were kind, friendly, and professional, but one nurse really stood out. Her name is Lesley and I nominate her for The DAISY Award.

Lesley did the typical care a labor and delivery nurse is expected to do and did it well, but what made her stand out was her patience, professionalism, and level-headedness during a crisis. The baby's head was bigger than expected and he had a difficult time dropping down into the birth canal. Lesley coached and reassured my daughter-in-law as she tried different positions and "tricks" to help the baby descend. Once the baby's head began to crown, the obstetrician was called. While waiting on the doctor to arrive, the baby decided he could wait no longer. Lesley was there as his head delivered with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck. Being a nurse, I recognized the situation immediately, but Lesley never let on there was a problem. She quickly clamped the cord, which then loosened enough for her to remove it from around the baby's neck. As he delivered he was limp and purple. The nursery nurses did an awesome job with their NRP skills, and with 30 seconds of drying and stimulating he began to cry.

I feel we were blessed to have Lesley in the delivery room. It's not every day that a nurse "catches the baby," but Lesley did everything correctly, as if she did it all the time. Her professional behavior in a difficult situation kept my daughter-in-law and son calm. Her knowledge and skills delivered my grandson and provided the immediate care he needed. I would like to say "Thank you Lesley, for being the nurse you are. You are an inspiration and perfect example of what a nurse is. God Bless."