My offspring, K, had an acute appendicitis attack, and was admitted to your facility. After seeing the results of the CT scan, the doctor informed us that immediate surgery was necessary.

In the ER, K told me that they were experiencing anxiety as they faced the sudden need for abdominal surgery and general anesthesia. Then, an OR nurse came into the room: Genna Fairchild. Her friendly greeting took the edge off of the stress in the room. She prepared K to go upstairs, explained why their piercing jewelry needed to be taken out, and provided a secure container where I could keep their jewelry safe. She complimented K on their pedicure and made them laugh. While wheeling the bed down the hallway from the elevator to the OR prep room she made several jokes, and even made it seem funny that there were some small bumps in the floor to navigate.

Genna kept up the stream of comforting commentary, while efficiently carrying out the tasks of getting K ready for surgery. I was impressed by her ability to multitask while paying attention to details. I noticed particularly that she was meticulous about sterile technique, changing her gloves often. This reassured me that the surgery would be carried out safely and that the risk of infection would be minimized. I'm familiar with sterile technique because I taught microbiology lab at UNM for four semesters.

I quietly mentioned to Genna that K's pronouns were they/them. Genna immediately wrote THEY/THEM at the top of K's chart and informed the other nurses, the surgeon, and the anesthesiologist. Not only did she use the correct pronouns from that moment on, but she also reminded all the other hospital staff. I noticed at this point that Genna seemed to have excellent working relationships with the other staff and that they respected and listened to her. This greatly added to the welcoming, safe environment for K at that stressful time.

Genna brought me to the waiting room, and since it was dinner time, brought me an assortment of fig newtons, cookies, and soda to tide me over during the surgery. Honestly, I felt that a favorite cousin was welcoming me to her house, and telling me that everything would be OK. 

A few days after they were discharged, K realized they had left their computer charger in the recovery room. They called the hospital, but no one knew where it was. I contacted Genna, and she managed to find it, put K's name on it, and send it to the front desk, where I picked it up. This additional kindness, in which Genna went out of her way to help, even after K had been discharged from the hospital, was truly above and beyond the call of duty.

Because of my 82-year-old mother's recent stay in a hospital for severe pneumonia, I have interacted with dozens of nurses in recent months. Out of all the nurses I've communicated with and seen working, Genna stands out as number one. Our family is grateful to Genna for the compassionate, competent care she provided to K when they needed emergency surgery. 

K writes, "I am terrified of surgery and medical procedures in general, so I was extremely nervous when I found out my appendix had to be removed. Genna made me feel comfortable and welcome as soon as I was taken from the ER to be prepared for surgery. She made what I expected to be a scary and traumatic experience into something normal and safe through her kind and considerate care. I am extremely grateful that she was there."