"Angels Among Us" by Alabama - This song PERFECTLY describes her. (Ain't it kind of funny, at the dark end of the road. Someone lights the way, with just a single ray of hope) I could easily go on and on about this song and how it exactly exemplifies the kind of person that she is. My family has now worked with her three times, since March. We first met her when my daughter came into the hospital with some type of suspected stomach issue. We were admitted and came up very late. She could immediately tell how exhausted I was from being up with my daughter all night and sitting in the ER while we tried to get her to eat for SEVERAL hours. She was so caring and understanding and wanted to get us settled into our room quickly so that we could go to sleep. She took her time to get us everything we needed and even took time to help me get my daughter ready for bed because I was alone due to COVID. The love that I could see her providing to my daughter was more than just a nurse/patient bond. I could IMMEDIATELY notice the love she had for my (at the time) two-month-old daughter.

Fast forward four months. My daughter, now 6 months, became extremely sick as she suffers from Hydronephrosis of her kidneys. She had contracted a severe kidney infection and was in so much pain we had to give her morphine. Again, we had the pleasure of working with Alysha. She IMMEDIATELY recognized us and knew my daughter. We didn't even have to remind her. Her memory was immediate as soon as she saw her. Again, the LOVE I felt from her towards my daughter was strong. My daughter was crying, screaming, and grunting in pain. To the point that I then was crying because my child was hurting so bad. She took the time to talk with us and comfort us. She stood in our room and listened to our frustration about the resident Doctor not listening to us or even recognizing the amount of pain my daughter was in. She took time to ensure the attending doctor came in our room to visibly assess my daughter to realize she needed something more than SEVERAL doses of Tylenol. She at that point had become more than a nurse. She was a comfort source as they wheeled our daughter in for emergency surgery to place a nephrostomy tube and drain the infection out of her kidneys and bladder. She truly showed empathy and kindness during such an unsure time in our life. She reassured us MULTIPLE times that SHE was going to take care of my daughter and get her better. Sure enough, we were released a few days later.

Fast forward two weeks later. Again....we wind up in the hospital with my daughter for another (well two) infections. She was our nurse two times during our almost week-long stay. AGAIN, her bond and love for my daughter RADIATED through the room. Not only my daughter, but her bond with us as her parents also made staying in the hospital and missing out on time with our three-year-old daughter a BIT more bearable. It was the high point each time she would come in and we would see her.

One of the nights, she was charge nurse. She took time to assist our nurse help trying to get an IV running on our daughter (she had MULTIPLE veins blown and ended up leaving with 11 pokes and bruises). She was careful to calm and comfort my daughter and try to get an IV with what little veins she had. She tried and tried and requested additional help from Anesthesiology so that my daughter would not have to endure any more pain. You could tell in her face (despite the mask) she could FEEL my daughter’s pain. Then after the team came up to place the IV and I was kicked out of the room she was just as upset as I was that I was not allowed to be in the room comforting my daughter as she screamed and cried. She could tell how upset I was and listened to my frustrations and feelings and then provided comfort. ALL WHILE TRYING TO BE CHARGE FOR THE ENTIRE UNIT.

SUPER long story short, she is one-of-a-kind. I made sure to thank her as much as humanly possible and I bought her and the team cookies as a SMALL gesture of gratitude. My family has been in multiple hospitals and had MULTIPLE stays and we have only met THREE nurses in our AMPLE amounts of hospital stays and visits we have had with both of our girls, that I would ever suggest or take an hour out of my day to write a long spiel about. She just happens to be the TOP of the three. She is also quite honestly one of the most amazing humans I have ever met. She makes some of the hardest times in a parent's life more seem calmer and easier to handle. We need more kind and caring individuals like her in this world. She truly is "one of the angels amongst us".