My 10year old son E had open heart surgery two weeks ago. Maggie was the nurse who gave us updates during the surgery and then took care of him the first night in the CICU. Maggie gave us timely updates and her mix of reassurance and humor put us at ease while we waited. When the stress got to me and I had an upset stomach she even showed up with ginger ale and saltines for me. What really amazed us was her nursing skill in the ICU. She was like an octopus; it seemed like she had eight hands. She efficiently and confidently took care of all of E's needs, beeping machines, meds, and monitors in a calm manner while also having a conversation with E and our family to help relax us. We felt an immediate connection to her.

When E woke up from surgery we could not be in the room as they were getting him settled. As a parent, it is very nerve-wracking to not be at your child's side as they wake up from a large procedure. When we walked in the room for the first time Maggie was hanging out with E and playing him music from his favorite band to keep him calm. Seeing him so cared for, felt like the first time in hours that I could actually take a breath.

Being in the hospital with your child can be a very helpless feeling as you don't know how best to help your child, but we felt secure in the fact that Maggie knew how to best help him and then gently taught us what we could do to be of help.

My son struggled with pain and anxiety at first and Maggie was the most timely nurse we had with meds. She would gently remind him to push his med pump if he needed it and tirelessly worked to help him find positions that were most comfortable for him. She never stopped reassuring and encouraging him until eventually he too believed it would be okay and he could cope with the pain and anxiety.

I have worked in a pediatric hospital for fifteen years and have never met a nurse as naturally talented and capable as Maggie. CHOP is very lucky to have her and the families she cares for are even luckier to experience her skill and presence. She even made the extra effort to visit us on the general floor before we were discharged.

Maggie was so amazing we wish every nurse we came into contact with was her. When we think back about our son's surgery we are appreciative of all the staff especially his surgeon, but it is Maggie who we will never forget and who made a very stressful situation so much easier for my son and for my husband and myself. We are forever grateful for her. We know Maggie cares this way for every patient she has, but to us, she will always be our Maggie, our North Star when we felt lost.