My 6 month old baby, J, had a vascular ring repair surgery. Because of complications, she was to be on a fat free diet where they skimmed my milk and gave dairy free (allergy) and fat free formula. The problem was that my baby is used to being nursed on demand and refused the bottle for 2 days. She was really sad and upset, on top of dealing with pain after surgery. Our nurse Grace, did everything she could to make her feel better, instead of just giving her opioids to keep her calm.

Grace was restlessly rocking the baby in her bed for as long as it kept her quiet. The baby can't sit on her own yet, so Grace would hold her up in sitting position, cheerfully talking to her and playing with her for an extended time. Grace was bent over a crib, completely oblivious to her own discomfort, as long as baby wanted. Grace was very innovative when she reached out to speech to come and help my baby take the bottle. She was doing everything humanly possible to help my baby feel better and take the bottle.

Most importantly, my baby has a severe allergy to milk protein. There was a mix-up and someone added regular formula to my skimmed breastmilk. Because of Grace's attention to detail, she spotted the mistake and dumped it out. She also noticed that the computer did not automatically flag the mistake in the order and was working with people on fixing the problem. I could tell by the end of her shift that Grace was exhausted, but not once did a cheerful smile leave her face. Grace deserves a DAISY Award because of her dedication, innovation, and how she put her patient's comfort and well-being above her own. As well as being excellent at preventing mistakes.