Our son was born at 31 weeks and was admitted to the NICU at Riverside Hospital. During our 6 week stay we met Nurse Jennifer Brooke Hartman. Brooke was often assigned to care for our son. She showed unbelievable patience and compassion to our son, my husband and me during those difficult times. While our son struggled physically, Brooke helped us to understand what and why our son was experiencing a "Brady" or "D-Sats" and the appropriate measures to assist him during an episode. Brooke taught us how to recognize when our son was in distress without using the monitor, thus boosting our confidence for when the day of discharge would arrive. She was very in tune to needs of not only our son, but also to us as the parents.

Having a child in the NICU is both emotionally and physically taxing. Brooke was very sensitive and recognized the days I just needed to talk or maybe just needed a hug. She coordinated and made herself available for parent night, bringing together the NICU parents, in a relaxed environment, allowing us to share our stories and offer much needed support to each other. Each day I would arrive to my son's bedside, I would glance at the board to see which nurse was assigned to him for that shift. Although every nurse did a great job with him, Nurse Brooke would brighten our day. Her positive, upbeat yet professional attitude was contagious. She was always available to help other parents or staff when needed. Brooke will forever have a special place in our hearts. Because of her we feel well prepared and able to tackle whatever hurdles we may encounter at home with our baby. We cannot thank her enough for all that she did for us during that time.