I was so frustrated with the way things were looking for my 1-year-old son. I didn't feel like I was being heard as a mother after a rough night on the floor. I didn't feel like his stats were showing as good as he was physically looking.

On the last day of our stay, I was so relieved to see Mariah back with us and immediately knew she would take care of us. We had Mariah for 3 days on the pediatric floor. Every single day she was not only there for my son, but also me as a mother. I was stressed out, I missed my older 3 children and husband at home, and I wanted my sweet baby boy to get over bilateral pneumonia/influenza.

Mariah always checked on me too, she knew my mental state was wavering and I was struggling with not being able to "make things better," as all mothers want to do for their kiddos. She sympathized with me and encouraged me to take a walk for coffee to clear my mind so I could be in the right headspace for my baby. She always made me feel heard and encouraged me to always advocate for my child; specifically stating "Mama, I'm just his nurse. You're his Mama. You know him the best." But Mariah was not "just his nurse." She made simple things like taking vitals so fun and turned it into a game. She would listen to his lungs, then she let him "listen" to her lungs. Mariah would do the things she needed to do as a nurse, but my son didn't even know; He thought she was just playing with him.

Mariah is an asset to the pediatric floor and any patient she sees. She reminded us daily that we all have the same goal in mind: To get my son healthy and back to his playful self. Mariah is not "just a nurse," she is an incredible person and we will forever be grateful for her diligence and care in helping get our boy back home and healthy so that our family could be together again just in time for Christmas!