Our son has received nothing but the best care throughout his entire stay at Children's Hospital. Our son was born with CDH and we have been in the NICU for over 2 months now. Brandi has stood out from day one. Brandi Cruz has become the third parent in our little family. We frequently go to her for support and advice; she always knows exactly what to say and how to say it. She takes such great care of these sick babies, often making families feel as though she is their very own private nurse. Brandi has been nothing short of amazing.
I can't remember a lot from the first few weeks we were here; it was all a blur between ECMO, tests, "50% chance of survival", surgery, alarms, etc. We were hurting, confused, terrified and lost. Brandi explained everything in detail, often answering questions for us that we hadn't thought of yet. She gave us privacy when we needed to think and a friend to talk to when we needed comfort. I can still remember talking to her one day while J was sedated and on ECMO. She made me laugh, something I hadn't done in weeks. She walked over to J, repositioning him, and began to talk to him too. He smiled the biggest, gummiest little smile I have ever seen. My heart melted into a puddle on the floor. I will never forget how she made us feel.
Brandi has been so gentle, kind, and caring to not only our son but to us as well. We are always at peace knowing that Brandi is somewhere on the unit. She serves as the ultimate patient advocate. The trust and rapport that we have built with her is the one thing we can count on every day. Her upbeat attitude, positive nature, and exceptional skills are an undeniable asset to Children's Hospital and our lives are better for meeting her. Now here we are, so close to going home. He still lights up every time she walks in the room. His first word may be "Brandi", but that will be okay. We will never, ever forget her.