Diana was my son’s nurse on his second night of life as a micro-preemie in the NICU. She was friendly, welcoming, and brought a sense of optimism to the room from the first moments we met her. By the end of week, she was assigned as my son’s primary night nurse. Throughout the next 3.5 months, countless times she would bring a sense of calm to a situation after a stressful day. When my son was intubated on a ventilator and at his most vulnerable, she was always watchful for cues that might be uncomfortable. She was a guru at knowing what he liked and how to calm him down. If she thought something like Tylenol or an adjustment to an order was going to help my son, she would never hesitate to ask the doctor.

As parents, the biggest contributor to us getting any sleep at night was knowing Diana was watching over our son. She was always good with details and valued the little things that she knew meant a lot to us as parents. For example, she knew how much we valued the nightly ritual of tracking his weight gain (especially when we became involved with his feedings) and she would always go out of her way to find scale #3 so that weight comparison from day to day would be as accurate as possible. As trivial as this might have been, it contributed to a sense of order, precision, and meticulous care provided to our son.

She always showed a willingness to go the extra mile. She faithfully bathed him. She enthusiastically took our phone calls, even if it was 2-3 times a night at times. As he grew, she would go out of her way to surprise us with a freshly stamped footprint sheet on his nightstand which she knew always warmed our hearts. I want to recognize Diana because she repeatedly brought light to what often felt like a dim situation. We are forever grateful for the care she brought and gave to our precious son. Thanks to caregivers like her, he thrived.