It was just after midnight. My 3-month-old son and I arrived by ambulance from a different hospital to the PEDS ER. He was very sick (RSV) and I was scared. When we arrived we were directed to a stretcher in the hallway. I could see the ER was full, with stretchers lining the hallways. Our nurse, TJ, came up and got report from the paramedics. I could tell things were busy and it was a stressful time. TJ looked at my son and immediately assessed that he needed a lot more help.

We were taken into a large room that was soon filled with doctors, nurses, pharmacy techs, respiratory therapists, and so many others. My son eventually was intubated, but through the whole process, TJ was right there by his side, talking to him and explaining what was going on. TJ provided a sense of calm and confidence in a very stressful situation. I will never forget how I felt when I saw how seriously TJ was taking my son’s symptoms, and how quickly they arranged for a higher level of care. TJ helped save my son’s life and forever touched mine.