I received the worst call of my life. My mom had an unexpected cardiac arrest and was being worked on by paramedics. It was a whirlwind. Paramedics were able to get back her pulse, took her to Hillcrest ER, and then sent her via helicopter to the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Intensive Care. My family had been by mom’s side, while my husband and I made the drive 4 hours north, in the middle of the night to be by her side. We arrived, in shock, and sat at her bedside. Due to trauma, and lack of sleep, I don't remember many specifics, until the change of shift that morning, when we met Laura Latona. Our family and Laura both knew the outcome was bleak. Laura, as her nurse, brought us comfort. We knew there was a “2 visitors” per room rule, but she allowed our large family to grieve together at Mom’s bedside. She didn’t get frustrated. She simply continued her work, doing her best to accommodate us. Many of us hadn’t slept in over 24 hours. I’m sure we were getting impatient at times, but she remained calm and empathetic. Several of us that were at the bedside are nurses. Laura maintained her confidence and wasn’t offended by the many challenging questions we had. She could answer them in such a way that both medical and non-medical family members could understand. Several doctors and advanced practice nurses stopped by the room to tell us the plan for mom, but each plan conflicted. When you’re talking about brain death testing, not being on the same page creates a lot of frustration for families. Laura was an advocate for our family. She walked out of Mom’s room and kindly brought a provider back, so together we could come up with a plan and all be on the same page. Morning rounds had finally occurred. We agreed to take a break and come to the bedside at 2:30 for brain death testing. As a family, we needed nourishment and a moment to be away from the bedside, but it was important for us to be at Mom’s side for the testing. Laura assured us testing would not occur until we came back to the bedside, and ensured she had our cell numbers in case there was a necessary change in plans. Brain death testing occurred, and Laura stayed with us at Mom’s bedside the entire time. She provided simple comforts of snacks, chairs, and tissues as we mourned the outcome of the brain death testing. Mom chose to be an organ donor, so this meant we were now embarking on a new journey. While heavy-hearted, we all felt peace leaving Mom with Laura as we made our trip home without her. Before we left, Laura even shared with me that she lost her mom in a similar situation. She grieved with me. She printed out a poem that had brought her comfort, all the while titrating drips, so mom could fulfill her wish of organ donation. She didn’t need to go that extra step. I wasn’t even the patient. But, she saw a need, and responded. I’m so thankful she was my mom’s nurse. The organ donation process was longer than we anticipated. Laura cared for mom the next 2 days. While we all knew Mom was “brain dead” at this point, we still expected her body to be treated with care and dignity. We had peace and no doubt knowing she was in Laura’s care. Laura even called and updated our family on Saturday night, her last shift for a few days, to let us know all that had been done for Mom. Laura even sent flowers to Mom’s funeral, because she couldn’t help but care. We were in contact with several different nurses during this traumatic event. They all did an excellent job caring for my mother. Laura, however, stood out amongst them all. She made a meaningful difference to my family and I, making the hardest experience of our lives a little more bearable. Laura exemplifies everything a nurse should be: skilled, intelligent, and knowledgeable, yet a human being, full of compassion and incredibly empathetic.