I had to have a pretty lengthy hospitalization in the NCCU. I was barely on the brink of adulthood, and as a 20-year-old, I spent more than half my life in doctors' offices and hospitals. However, the last two years I was experiencing extreme seizures and it was really affecting my health. I was diagnosed with a brain AVM. I remember how terrified I was when I got to the NCCU. Marissa was always there to check in on me, especially when my family wasn't able to be there. Marissa constantly advocated for my well-being, and explained everything to me and my family so well and in a way that we could understand it. Marissa tried to keep me distracted and not so focused on everything going on with my health all the time. There were so many times when tears were shared with me and my family. I remember Marissa not only being there to explain medical things, but also being there to even hold my mom's hand and comfort us. She was so patient. While there was a lot of crying, Marissa always seemed to brighten my days in the hospital as much as she could. I even remember one time when she played the game "headbands" with me on my cell phone when she had spare time. I was having a really bad day that day, and that really helped. Not only is she an amazing nurse. She's an amazing human being who is truly kind and wants the best for her patience. During the whole stay, she eventually became like family to me and my family. My family and I cannot thank her enough!