I am honored to nominate Mahsa Yazdani for the DAISY Award, because there are truly no words strong enough to express what she means to me and what she did for me during the most intense and emotional experience of my life, my labor and delivery. I had been in labor for over two and a half days. I was exhausted, discouraged, and not progressing as hoped.

Around 4 or 5 a.m. on her day off, and while she herself was in her third trimester of pregnancy, I messaged Mahsa, hoping she might be able to come in. I just knew, deep down, that she was the only person who could help me get to 10 centimeters. I work alongside her as a labor and delivery nurse, and I’ve seen firsthand how gifted, skilled, and deeply passionate she is. But in this moment, I wasn’t her colleague; I was a laboring mother who desperately needed someone to believe in her. And Mahsa showed up. Not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and wholeheartedly.

Despite being heavily pregnant herself, Mahsa walked into my labor room with a calm, focused, determined presence. She advocated for me as no one else could. She fought for me gently, fiercely, and passionately to have the natural and empowered delivery I had hoped for. And with the help of another incredible nurse, she helped me reach full dilation. I made it to 10 centimeters, something that at one point felt completely out of reach, and it was because of Mahsa. Mahsa was my anchor. She was my cheerleader, my strength, my calm in the storm.

After days without eating, hardly sleeping, and facing mounting complications, she remained steady and hopeful for me when I didn’t have much hope left for myself. Her words, her presence, and her belief in me were everything. She guided me through every phase of labor and, ultimately, supported me through the heartbreaking decision to proceed with a C-section. When we entered the OR, I was absolutely terrified. I was about to be placed under general anesthesia, and I was overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty. But Mahsa stayed right there by my side. She spoke to me gently, reassuring me that I was going to be okay, that she was going to take care of me, and that I wasn’t alone. She helped me accept what was happening not as a failure, but as something I could walk through with courage. She was the very last person I saw before I closed my eyes. And knowing she was there made all the difference in the world.

Mahsa didn’t just care for my body; she cared for my soul. She was everything I needed in that moment and more. And as if that wasn’t enough, she stayed with me well past the end of her shift. Then she left the most beautiful note on my recovery room whiteboard, telling me she loved me and that she’d see me the next day. That small act of kindness moved me beyond words. Mahsa Yazdani is the most extraordinary nurse I have ever known, both as a colleague and as a patient. I’ve seen how she cares for every single one of her patients with the same love, dedication, and heart that she showed me. She is a nurse who changes lives, and she absolutely changed mine. I will carry what she did for me in my heart forever. With endless love and gratitude, a forever grateful mama and nurse.