In our 4-day stay at CDH, delivering our daughter, we were lucky enough to have Marisa for two full nights in a row. She was the nurse we had on our first night in the hospital and the night we delivered. I was admitted at 38 weeks for pre-eclampsia, and Marisa was consistently reassuring. She made sure to tell me what was going on with both me and the baby at all times.

The first night, she came into our room constantly to help with getting the baby on the monitor while I tried to be comfortable during early labor. She was gentle and sweet, addressing all of my concerns. On the second night, when she walked in the door, my husband and I both felt immediate relief. Having her a second night, knowing we would likely deliver with her, helped calm our nerves so much. Around 1 am, my labor had taken a small turn, and not only was I no longer progressing, but my baby was not tolerating labor. Marisa talked me through everything and promptly addressed the changes with my OB. She advocated for me and my baby.

When the decision was made that the best option for both of us was a C-section, Marisa made sure I was aware of everything that was going to happen and kept me at peace. She made sure I wasn’t scared and reassured me that, despite it not being the way I thought my labor would go, I was making the best choice for my baby. When it came time for surgery, she took great care of my husband, me, and my baby. She made sure we all knew what was happening and how it was going to happen. She collaborated with the other staff to be sure all of us felt safe.

After my baby was delivered, she needed a mild amount of resuscitation, which Marisa provided. She took incredible care of our girl and told me everything that happened. When the baby was ready to head to recovery, she took my husband to do skin-to-skin with the baby. My husband, who had been quite nervous throughout the whole process, was also brought so much peace by having Marisa help him hold our girl for the very first time. When I came into recovery, she ran through all of our daughter's numbers and made sure I was able to skin-to-skin with her as quickly as possible.

One of the saddest moments of our stay was transitioning up to mother/baby and knowing we wouldn’t get to have Marisa as our nurse again. She truly is the definition of a DAISY Nurse. She is a compassionate, caring, talented, intelligent advocate for her patients. I am beyond thankful for her and will be sure to tell my daughter about the nurse who helped her safely come into this world.