I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter in May of 2022. To say that my husband and I were ecstatic would be an understatement. We quickly started planning for and envisioning a "normal," healthy pregnancy and delivery filled with joy and excitement. Unfortunately, our visions and reality were very different. After complications, I delivered my daughter, at 29 weeks and 2 days gestation. It seemed that just as quickly as I found out I was pregnant, I found myself a mom of a preemie, standing in Nursery C in the NICU. Nursery C is where I first met Kathy. Every day I went to the NICU at 9 am and stayed by my daughter’s bedside for as long as my eyelids stayed open and my mental health would allow. The day I met Kathy my daughter was having a particularly rough day with what is referred to as “monitor violations.” This simply means that she would periodically drop her heart rate and oxygen saturation and need interventions to help keep her vitals stable. My daughter's nurse had gone on break, and I was sitting at her bedside trying to distract myself from the stress and overwhelming anxiety that this day held with a good book. She had once again dropped her heart rate and oxygen saturation and needed stimulation to help her recover. Kathy was the one who responded to this violation and noticed the fear on my face.  She was not my daughter's nurse that day, but she took the time to explain that she was acting like a normal preemie, and that she would grow out of these behaviors over time. She then asked me what I was reading, suggested a few other books for me to read, and went back to her assignment. The next day I came in at 9 am as normal to find a book from Kathy at her bedside for me to read next.

A few weeks had passed, and she was growing stronger and more resilient. She was no longer considered “critical” and was moved to NICU West. That is where my path crossed with Kathy once again. I was now back at work and came in the morning to sit with her and do her 6 am care time. The day before Kathy was assigned to her for the first time, I had received difficult news that she may be a candidate for a G-tube if her PO feeding did not increase. Kathy sat with me that morning for almost an hour after receiving report, listening to my concerns, providing an empathetic listening ear, and assuring me that she was still small and there were many interventions that could be done to help her build stamina to eat and gain weight. Even in the moments of silence during that morning conversation, I knew that Kathy was there to care not only for my daughter but for me as well. Later that week, I requested Kathy follow my daughter, meaning that she would be assigned to her on days she worked. I will never forget what Kathy said when I asked her. She said, “I am supposed to orient a new nurse soon, but I will just tell the charge nurse that my loyalty is to your family.” At that moment, I knew that Kathy was not only a nurse who went through the motions while at work, but one who genuinely cared about her patients and their families.

It was now January and the weather had turned cold and the forecast was calling for snow. I was at work and went to the NICU on my break to see my daughter and get an update on how her day was progressing. Kathy was her nurse and doing her noon care time when I arrived. The snow was falling outside, and we both commented on how it was my daughter's first snowfall. Kathy left the room momentarily and came back with a big woven hat. She placed it on my daughter and held her by the window, so I was able to document her first snowfall. We had a mini “photoshoot” with the snowy background. Instead of it being a sad day that she was not home for her first snow, Kathy made it a happy occasion. In fact, I have one of the pictures printed out and look at it and remember how special that day was for both me and my daughter.

A few days later I began to feel ill and tested positive for COVID-19. When I called the NICU to inform them, Kathy answered the call. As I was telling her, I could not help but start to cry, as I knew that I would not be able to visit her for at least ten days. She was then placed on isolation precautions due to me being positive for COVID-19. Only essential medical staff could enter her room. Out of caution, my husband (although negative for COVID) could not even visit because we lived in the same home. My heart broke knowing that she was isolated in a room in the NICU. Kathy once again went above and beyond for her and our family. Kathy did not detour from her room, even with the possibility of my daughter being positive for COVID. Instead, she would sit and rock her after her care times in full PPE. I remember calling in for an update and Kathy stated, “I just love rocking your girl and rubbing her fuzzy little head.” That meant the world to me. Kathy would also write and leave notes next to her crib so that my husband and I could read over the Angel Cam about how our girl was doing. I saved all these notes, and they are currently in her nursery, ready to be placed in a NICU scrapbook! Kathy even saved her first bottle for us since she took her first milk by mouth while we were in quarantine. How lucky we were to have a nurse who cared so much about our daughter while we were unable to be at her bedside.

Flash forward and it was Superbowl Sunday. My husband and I are big Eagles fans, hence naming our daughter after one of the players. We were looking forward to hopefully having our girl home with us for an Eagles Superbowl, but she just wasn’t quite ready for discharge. Kathy was her nurse on Superbowl Sunday. That morning she walked in with an Eagles shirt on and proclaimed, “I don’t really follow football, but I went out and bought this shirt to wear for my SweetPea.” This once again showed me just how much Kathy cared about my daughter. Discharge was nearing and the excitement was setting in. I was sitting in my daughter's room rocking her a few days before she was expected to go home. I was talking to Kathy about how nervous I was about taking my daughter home after spending three months in the NICU. In the NICU, there is always someone to answer your questions, respond to a monitor, help the parents feed, etc. At home, it would be so different. Kathy assured me that my daughter, myself, and my husband were all ready for this next step. She then helped me write a list of last-minute essentials to buy before she came home. The amount of time she spent comforting and reassuring me that day made me feel like my daughter was her only patient. What a gift!

Kathy embodies everything that the DAISY Award represents. She is skillful, compassionate, and, quite simply, Extraordinary. She made an incredibly difficult time in our lives easier. Kathy is an experienced, excellent nurse whose skills are unmatched. Every day that Kathy had my daughter, we knew our daughter was in the best hands. Kathy is the type of nurse I wish I could be. She is a DAISY!