Our son was having his stem cells collected as he undergoes his treatment for cancer. He unfortunately has had to spend a significant amount of time at Children’s Hospital of Colorado which is a fantastic facility but not where a 13-year-old wants to be. He was not looking forward to this procedure knowing it was likely going to be multiple days, but he knew it was necessary.

We were unbelievably lucky to have Ashley Tiller as our nurse for the three days we spent there. Ashley was a delight and made all the difference in our care. She was upbeat and focused on his needs in making him comfortable and flexed to his personality. We felt very confident in what Ashley was doing with the procedure. She went above and beyond to address any question or concern that we had during the three days.

When we were headed back home after day two he asked if we were going to have Ashley again tomorrow. He is used to having the nurses swap out and sometimes we never see them again. I asked him if he wanted her again tomorrow and he responded with a clear “YES I like her and she’s fun!”. It is interesting how those things and oftentimes they are subtle, or little make all the difference.

Ashley is clearly a great nurse. She knows what she is doing confident in her abilities and has a passion for what she does every day. How she engages with her patients and the family of her patients is different and needs to be acknowledged and awarded. Her positive attitude, enthusiasm for care, and ability to connect genuinely with people are wonderful. We were patients for only a few days, but she absolutely made an impact on his care and our lives.

Ashley always likes to get something for the kids she treats before they leave the Child Life Team. She was struggling with what she might be able to get him. She was actually taking the time during his care to determine what he might enjoy getting upon leaving. She nailed it with him by giving him a handmade card with Spider-Man from all the people that worked with him while we were there. He lit up when she gave that to him and said “you are a special kid and we are rooting for you!” Ashley is a true DAISY Nurse!