My son X was brought to Mass General by life flight. He had recently been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the muscles and involves the lungs.  He was in critical condition, and I was frightened for his life. I met Christine early on in my son's one-month stay on Blake 7.  

Her genuinely warm and caring nature made her my favorite nurse from the start.  Any day she cared for my son made it a good day.  We also had an immediate personal connection.  I was away from home and missing my daughter and grandchildren.  Christine is around my daughter's age (I began calling her my substitute daughter) and has a son around the same age as my grandchildren so we had a lot to talk about. 

Christine always treated me as a person and always made it a point to have normal everyday conversations with me.  This may not seem like much but if you have ever been in a crisis a sense of normalcy is so incredibly important even if it's just exchanging parenting ideas or telling silly stories.  

In addition, as my son woke up and improved she treated my son like a young person who has interests and hopes, and dreams.  Yes, he was critically ill but he was still a young man.  She asked about things that are relative to him like what concerts he had been to and his favorite movies.  She asked about his friends and family.  Again, just normal conversation.  

Christine was also X’s biggest cheerleader and for any progress he made she gave him full credit.  When the day came for X to leave the ICU I'll admit I was sad because I knew I'd never find another Christine. Thankfully she was the nurse who gave sign out to the unit my son was transferred to.  She spent over 30 minutes talking to them and shared every detail about my son from how he valued privacy to how to whip up his favorite milkshake. Christine came to visit X and me before she left for maternity leave.  I will never forget her and will forever appreciate her warmth and kindness.  

Thank you, Christine, for making a very difficult time so much better.