Alyssa, Alyssa, ALYSSA… This lady REALLY turned a sour visit into a sweet moment that I will cherish forever. For starters, children are a sensitive topic and to have someone care for your family the way you would speaks volumes. My son started having seizures with no prior medical history. This was such a mouthful to digest and Alyssa nursed our family to sanity. He would light up every time she walked in the room and you could see the care she carried in her heart for him.

She spent so much time in our room comforting us and just giving us words of encouragement during this time. When I cried she bought me tissues, when I looked overwhelmed she pulled me in for a hug, when my words seemed jumbled she decoded my mess. All too often we get in a routine and we throw away humanity for others. We do our job and we keep it pushing but Alyssa was a friend to me during this time. Alyssa might have been doing just her job during our stay but in our eyes, she was a gift from God.

My 8-month-old son had a 13-minute seizure in front of me and a nurse I met three hours ago came to our rescue and educated us on seizures and prepared me for a lifestyle change I wasn’t expecting. She explained medications and even went as far as to physically demonstrate how to use the rescue drug that could save our son’s life one day. The world needs more people like this. We need those individuals that don’t get caught up in their titles but are human enough to see a hurting individual and provide that reassurance when really needed. Kudos to Alyssa and all the nurses that were on the morning shift on the 7th floor. I thank y’all for your professionalism and speedy response to my son’s situation. Everyone on that floor is amazing but Alyssa was just our right hand.

***

Alyssa was a complete breath of fresh air during such a stressful time. She was very attentive to my child, but also to my husband and me. I’ve never had to stay at a hospital with any of my children. For this to be the first time, tensions were high and patience was extremely low. She provided us with pep talks, transparency, hugs, and tissues while I cried, and consistently checked on me. So many times we allow life to become routine, and we push through our workday just to say we did it, but I truly feel that mentally I would’ve been a wreck without her smiling face and positive attitude. I never felt ignored, belittled, or annoying to her during our time together.

Each day she showed up with a smile, and always checked in with us, and gave us a game plan for the day ahead. I would highly recommend her to anyone who has a child on this floor. Thank you, Alyssa, for being our family during this time.