Marly Richelieu is an extraordinary nurse whose compassion, skill, and generosity extend beyond the hospital walls. She is an exceptional patient caretaker who brings calm, confidence, and dignity to every person she serves; hence, the reasons why her patients also sing her praises. I recall one evening after she gave a double-amputee female patient a soap-and-water bath and moisturized her skin with lotion. The patient thanked her and shared that it was her calling to serve others, encouraging her to continue being the type of nurse she is — “Special.”

Another patient who had not been interactive with the nursing staff and seemed depressed opened up to her after she insisted on having a conversation with the patient to understand their reason for being so sullen since being admitted to the ICU. After opening up and speaking to Marly, the patient was receptive to her request to have a conversation with the Chaplain and then expressed his gratitude for the care that she showed him. As a nurse preceptor and relief charge nurse, she guides others with patience, clarity, and a deep commitment to safe and excellent care. Her leadership is quiet but powerful, and her influence is felt across every shift.

Marly’s dedication to service reaches into the community and across the world. She shadowed the wound care team so she could effectively care for her patients' wounds, but also volunteer her skills at her church community, providing wound care to people who would otherwise go without. Each month she offers blood pressure and blood glucose screenings at a friend’s church, meeting people where they are and ensuring they feel supported and seen. She volunteers at community health fairs and is a proud member of VIMM, serving on medical missions in India, Africa, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and soon Peru; she is also an active member of the Haitian American Nurses Association (HANA).

Her compassion does not stop at direct care. Marly is committed to lifting others as she climbs. She actively supports young women in Haiti by helping them attend nursing school, opening doors that change entire families and communities. Marly embodies the spirit of nursing through service, humility, and steadfast love for humanity. She is a healer, a mentor, and a light to all who know her.