On a December afternoon, I brought my 2-year-old daughter to the emergency department at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital for what I thought was the stomach flu. Hours later, I was told she had a massive brain tumor, and it was bleeding. She was rushed to the PICU where she was immediately intubated and we were told she would need brain surgery. The surgeon wanted to wait until the next morning if at all possible in order to give her the best chance at a successful surgery.

Brittni was Nora’s nurse that night. My husband and I were still trying to wrap our heads around the situation. We were terrified. Brittni was so kind and gentle when speaking with us. She patiently answered our questions and had a calming presence. Most importantly, she worked tirelessly through the night to keep our daughter stable. Her abilities and skill were evident and kept her alive while she awaited surgery (along with her doctor and their incredible team). She treated our daughter as if she were a family member. She monitored her constantly and immediately responded to all of her needs.

Brittni and the PICU team were able to keep her stable through that night, and the next day, she endured a 12-hour brain surgery to remove the massive tumor. Brittni was again our daughter’s nurse that night after her surgery. It was such a relief to know she would be cared for by someone who was so capable and so genuinely invested in her well-being. It was another challenging night, but Brittni went above and beyond to put us at ease and care for our daughter. We are so very grateful to every single nurse, doctor, nurse practitioner, and staff member who was assigned to our daughter during her 13-day hospital stay. However, Brittni Herbort will always stand out as the person who was with us during the two most difficult moments– the nights before and after surgery. We will always think of her as our daughter’s guardian angel. Thank you, Brittni. Please know that you will forever have the love and gratitude of our family.