Our son L was in the NICU for 38 days. We were transferred from a different hospital after 12 days in the NICU there, and we spent 26 days at TGH NICU. During that time we met a lot of excellent nurses. Out of all of the amazing nurses, we had a few that really stood out and made an impact not only on L but also on us as new nervous parents. Our son was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that shattered our world. With this news, we knew our son was going to need specific and special care. One nurse truly stood out to us. She took time to with L and help his development beyond the normal scope of care. Renee went above and beyond to work with L every time she had him. L grew a connection with Renee that was seen by others. Even speech therapy would joke that once L would hear Renee's voice he would all of the sudden come to life. We would request for Renee to be our primary nurse when she was on and available. There were a few times when we would not get her as our daytime nurse however, she would find time to always stop by and check on not only L but on us nervous/anxious parents as well. Once more L would come alive at the sound of her voice. Renee took the time to spend with L even when not assigned to him to help work with him or simply give him love and attention. As much as we loved how much Renee cared for L we saw how much L loved Renee.  I think we enjoyed it just as much if not more. The peace of mind that we as parents would get just knowing Renee was working that day whether she was our nurse or not would ensure us that day in the NICU was going to be OK. Whether or not Renee had L as a patient that day she would find time to work with his oral care and development.

I do not think there are enough words or ink to put on paper to describe the character and individual that Renee embodies. She truly is one of a kind.  We as parents couldn't be more thankful to have such an amazing caregiver and nurse for our precious boy. One more example that exemplifies the amazing person Renee is was when she came to our room and offered to sit with L and keep him company so that we could go take a break for ourselves. This single class act once more embodies the type of person Renee is. I will add that on this day Renee wasn't our nurse. She once more went out of her way to see to not only the needs of L but us as parents. 

We truly wish there was more we could do or say that would shine a light on the amazing nurse Renee is. However, there is simply not enough time in the day.