Nurse Nelama Hemnarine exemplifies everything that the word nurse stands for. She is patient and considerate whenever I visit my daughter. When she came into the room, she would listen to my concerns and help to make my daughter comfortable. She would call the doctor for me to give consent over the phone for a blood transfusion or for her to have her dialysis done.

My daughter has been sick all her life. She has sickle cell anemia and kidney disease and has dialysis three times a week. Most of the nurses and aides are all familiar with her journey. Nurse Nelama is always willing to listen to my daughter's concerns and to call for doctors' orders on what to do if she sees something they may not be aware of.

Both she and another nurse have been kind and compassionate to my daughter every time, but the time that stuck in my heart was when I was visiting my daughter and was going through depression. I was coming out of the room, and Nurse Nelama asked me if I was okay. I said yes and started crying. She brought over a chair for me sit on and let me vent. She said she knew something was wrong and that I didn't look like myself.

I told her how I talk to the Lord about my daughter's suffering and pray for Him to heal her because I know He can do anything He wants to do when He wants to do it. She listened, and I realized she had other patients to care for, but her encouragement and attention made a big impact on me that day. I thank her.