The mother of Ashlee’s patient wrote that she had taken her daughter to her pediatrician’s office for a follow up to strep throat that didn’t seem to be getting any better. The mother wrote that the pediatrician coldly told her that her daughter did not have strep throat, but she had a brain tumor. Instead of being comforted and having her questions answered, the pediatrician left her alone to sit with this life altering news.

The little girl was admitted to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital’s PICU, where Ashlee was her nurse. The girl’s mother stated that while Ashlee had probably seen more than her fair share of suffering, she made sure the girl and her family were taken care of and felt cared for. Ashlee sat with the little girl and encouraged the parents to take breaks. Ashlee found activities that were appropriate for the little girl, she cried with the child and her family and found more ways to show compassion to this family than they thought possible. The mother even stated that when they were transferred from the PICU to the Neuro Floor, it was exciting but they found themselves wishing they could take Ashlee to the other floor with them.