In 2018 our son O was born at Texas Children’s Hospital with a critical heart defect. We had made the decision during the pregnancy to relocate from Arkansas to Houston for his care. Without local family and friends in Texas, the staff at TCH became like family in the 9 consecutive months we stayed in the CICU that year. As we were learning to navigate the heart world, we formed close bonds with many of the nursing staff, but Paul Longoria will always have a special place in our hearts. Even if he wasn’t our bedside nurse that day, anytime Paul was at work, he made it a point to come check in with us and say hi to O. There were many difficult days during that admission, and Paul’s kindness and hard work meant so much to us during that time, as it did to so many other families we got to know in the hospital.

In 2022, O turned 4 years old and returned to Texas Children’s Hospital for his next planned heart surgery. One of the only things we looked forward to when having to go back to the hospital was seeing the people who had taken such good care of O the first time around, like Paul. O’s surgery went as planned, but his recovery did not. After severe complications, O was placed on mechanical support and we were told the devastating news that he would need to remain in the hospital while he waited for a heart transplant.

It was a long 10 month admission. Paul supported us in those days as well, not only with encouraging words but by being a fierce advocate for O’s best care whenever it was needed. Paul and O’s friendship grew during that time, with Paul never failing to bring a smile and a laugh to O’s face. He encouraged us on the hard days and rejoiced with us on the good days, like when O received his new heart.

Paul is more than just kind-hearted. We have also always admired what a hard worker he is. It seemed he was always willing to help his fellow nurses, whether it was taking time out of his day to assist others with line changes or making sure everyone around him had what they needed and felt supported. There were countless times Paul was O’s nurse, but also times he was paired with another patient. Despite splitting his responsibilities and time among more than one child, he always made us and O feel like we were his only patient. This was a sentiment we heard from other families as well.

Paul has always been a fierce advocate for O. He took the time to understand and type up a full history of O, and anytime he was caring for O and there was a new attending or fellow, he made sure to read the full history to ensure the decision makers understood the full picture. Anytime we saw a concerning change in O, Paul trusted us and looked into it immediately. He never brushed our concerns off but was always quick to notify other team members, the fellow, or attending, and would fight for O when things just didn’t seem right.

It was no secret that Paul was O’s favorite nurse. Causing a bit of a friendly rivalry, O made that fact clear time and time again to other nurses in the hospital, always asking when he was going to see “Misser Paul” again. He loved Paul so much that he chose to dress up as him this past Halloween. We ordered blue scrubs just like Paul wears every day, and O was so proud to tell everyone he met that he wasn’t just a doctor, a surgeon, or even a nurse; he was a super special nurse: “Misser Paul.”

We know of no one more deserving and will always be thankful for Paul’s part in caring for O and our family.