Two years ago, my pregnancy had been complicated by PreE/HELLP Syndrome. I spent days on High-Risk OB, but on my very first day I met Liz and just a few days later she would end up becoming one of the reasons I'm still here today.

One morning Liz came onto her shift and had me as her patient again. Fortunately for me because I was in great hands, unfortunately for her because I was about to give her a horrible shift. She quickly realized that I looked much worse compared to her first night with me and I was much more swollen. She checked my blood pressure and it was severe. My morning had just started and in a matter of minutes an entire team was in my room, and I was getting prepped to go to the OR for an emergency C-section at 33 and 5 weeks. That morning alone, and her critical thinking then, is enough for her to earn a DAISY but my story with her continues.

After my C-section, I end up hemorrhaging while in recovery, had an emergency D&E, and woke up blind. I will never forget the worry in Liz's voice when she came to the PACU to take me to High Risk and found out that I was blind. Moments from here on out are a bit of a mental and literal blur. While back in my room, Liz knew I wasn't doing well and needed more help than what her unit could offer me. I remember her concern for my health on that night. I was so sick and in a mental fog, completely unable to grasp what was wrong with me and unable to be my own advocate. Liz was the advocate I needed and called the rapid response team. While in and out of this fog, I could hear a woman on the rapid response team ask Liz what I needed and that she would get me whatever care Liz felt I needed. I ended up in the ICU for three days, from the massive blood loss I experienced. I ended up with an AKI and in acute kidney failure.

Days later when I was released from the ICU, Liz was again my nurse. This time instead of giving her a traumatizing shift, she spent the day teaching about motherhood. I spent days in the ICU and on this day I was going to meet my son for the first time. She helped me check off everything on my list of what I needed to do in order to leave the unit and see my baby in the NICU. She taught me about pumping and postpartum care, and for the first time, I was finally finding normalcy in one of the most traumatic experiences.

My son turned two in November, and I was able to celebrate his birthday with him. I've spent two years getting to experience life as a mother. I get to hug and kiss my son every single day. There will never be a birthday, milestone, hug, or kiss that won't be followed by the thought that at a time there was the possibility that I would not get to experience all of this. Liz, along with many others that day, are the reasons I get to enjoy these things. If that book isn't enough proof that Liz is a DAISY Nurse, she also handled my stressed mother better than any other healthcare worker has.