october 2023- jessica stuart, Nicu nurse at cleveland clinic - hillcrest

Nominated by: ben & samantha bartley

“Our wonderful Nurse Jess was by our side from beginning to end of our 120-day NICU stay. It didn't matter if she was assigned to Calvin or not on any given day. She became the constant that we needed in what was an otherwise turbulent time. Jess is truly one of the most compassionate, positive, genuinely kind people we have ever met, all qualities that make for a perfect NICU nurse. As you can imagine, having a baby born 15 weeks early at 25 weeks is terrifying. Life changes instantly and drastically. Jess was with us in the first couple of days after Calvin arrived. She sat with us for hours, not only taking care of our son but taking care of us. We talked with Jess... A lot... About everything. She talked us through what was currently happening, to what to expect in the future, to normal life things outside of the NICU. Whether she realized it or not, these conversations are often what got us through the day. This was especially true for my wife, who spent the majority of her day, every day for 4 months, sitting at Calvin's bedside. Being the spectacular person she is, Jess had an array of interesting things going on outside of her work. But this never stopped her from putting her patients and families first. We always felt like we were the top priority, even at times when she wasn't working! In fact, during Calvin's NICU stay, Jess got married and texts checking on Calvin on both her wedding day AND while she was on her honeymoon! She was one of Calvin's biggest advocates and cheerleaders. Because she knew him so well, she was consistently proactive in working towards his next goals. For example, sitting with him to do a room air trial off cpap. She believed in Calvin just as much, and we did. She also found ways to add a bit of "normalcy" to Calvin’s day, such as getting him a stroller order so that they could take laps around the NICU or so he could sit with her while she charts!  Jess made it possible for us to continue to live our lives outside of the NICU. When we had a wedding to attend, we weren't sure if we could choose to go to the wedding and not the hospital. But Jess encouraged us, gave us the reassurance we needed to attend, and proceeded to text us pictures and updates the whole day, keeping our minds at ease! It is hard to leave your child. But when Jess was around, we were able to leave knowing he was in the best hands and possibly enjoying extra long cuddle sessions while watching their favorite show. We are all so incredibly thankful to have had Nurse Jess come into our lives when we needed her the most. She has since graduated to honorary “Aunt Jess” and we hope she will be in Calvin's life for years to come!”

september 2023- rj carr, Nicu nurse at jersey shore university medical center

Nominated by: alyssa pedi

“After reading the description of the, “NICU Heart Award,” I immediately thought of my coworker and friend Rj. When I first met Rj I could tell right away that the NICU was where he belonged. Besides his impeccable ability to think fast on his feet and the wonderful head on his shoulders, he has one of the biggest hearts I have ever come across. Spending only 2 years together working in JSUMC’s NICU, I have seen Rj be a support system for every family, patient and coworker he interacts with. One shift I worked with Rj stands out to me the most and I feel that his actions are the pure definition of what the NICU Heart Award should be. It started out as a seemingly normal shift and before we knew it we had a smaller, yet stable, mom/baby come into our triage department. As Rj and myself were setting up for the arrival of our new little friend we could tell that the Mom was terrified for the next few hours (as any mom would be). I remember Rj speaking to the Mom and assuring her that her baby would be in the best care and that everything would work out. Before we knew it our stable situation turned critical and within the hour the baby was delivered STAT and in our NICU. Throughout this chaotic admission I would glance at Rj frequently and I could see an almost palpable bond forming between him and his new patient. To make a long story short, Rj took this baby as his primary from the day they were born and the rest is pure magic. Working the night shift it is more challenging to interact with parents, but Rj was able to not only take the baby into his care, but the family as well. He laughed with them, he cried with them and he led them both mentally and physically through the beautiful chaos that is the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The care that Rj provides is beyond outstanding and is a standard every NICU nurse should strive for. He gives his heart to every patient, parent and team member he comes across and I truly consider him family. He is a backbone on our unit and he is a friendly face in the darkest of days. Rj continues to spread positivity and a little bit of magic among our unit and for this reason I feel he is the perfect person to be awarded this prestigious honor. As his friend and basically his family, I am so lucky to work with someone with a heart as immense as his.”

july 2023- bernadette massie, NICU NURse at LVHN Cedar Crest

Nominated by: Kelsey Schultz

“My daughter Addyson was born at 35 weeks, 1 day. We encountered tons of amazing staff members during our short stay, but Bernadette will surely be one that we will never forget. My husband went with my daughter to the NICU right after birth and when he came back he assured me that she was in great hands. As I was wheeled into the NICU for the first time, I got to meet Bernadette. She was so calm and caring and it helped create a small sense of relief in the midst of a chaotic, stressful situation. As the days went on we got to know Bernadette a bit more. We found out that we both were IUI moms and that her husband actually went to the same high school as me. We would sit at our daughter's bedside a majority of the day and that never phased Bernadette. She was happy to see us there and never made us feel that we were in the way or that we needed to leave, no matter what time of day it was. Our daughter was struggling with feeding and she spent so much time with us teaching us tips and tricks to help her meet her required amount. When she needed a feeding tube put in I had such a hard time with it. Bernadette was so supportive and reminded us it was only used if she absolutely needed it and that it was only temporary. We are so thankful for all the things she taught us that we would've never thought of as first time parents. We had such a sense of relief when we walked in and saw that Bernadette was Addyson's nurse for the day. We knew while she was in her care she truly was going to be loved and cared for like she was her own. We will never be able to thank Bernadette enough and we surely will never ever forget her. We ended up being discharged on a day she was not in. Luckily for us, Bernadette has been amazing in helping me coordinate our project NICU bag drop offs! We have gotten to see her again and thank her for all she did for us during that challenging time!”

june 2023- ruby ruano, NICU NURse at mercy san juan

Nominated by: brandan smith

“Back in April 11th 2021, I met nurse Ruby less than 24 hours after Reese was born at 26&6 and 623 grams due to HELLP syndrome. Over the next 110 days Ruby became family. I walked into our private room sleep deprived, exhausted, stressed, and scared, but she made that room feel like home. During her first few hours with Reese and myself (since my wife was still recovering) she already assigned herself to Reese as her primary night nurse (7pm - 7am). I had no idea what that meant at the time, but I was thankful someone would be a familiar face for us. After that first full night in the NICU I went back to my wife and told her all about Ruby because I knew they would get along, and boy was I right! Ruby was quickly becoming family. We exchanged personal phone numbers, talked about our families, her family, interests which included a lot of food, tv shows, and wine…. I mean a lot of food! Ever night we would get back to the NICU after dinner we would talk about where we went and what we ate. Ruby even got Reese a David Rose outfit with glasses from Schitts Creek to dress her up in the NICU. After discharge we stayed close with Ruby. Keeping her up to date with how Reese was doing, asking her medical questions after google scared us, cheese and wine days, or happy hours. Ruby has made it a point to get shifts swapped in order to make it to Reese’s birthday parties and even brings along her husband. Ruby and her husband don’t have their own family close by, so we make sure our door is always open for holidays. This past Thanksgiving Ruby had to work and her husband was all lone, so we made sure he came over to enjoy Thanksgiving with us and sent him home with leftovers for Ruby when she got off. They opened theirs hearts to our baby girl, so we want to do whatever we can for them. I know there are a lot of amazing medical professionals inside and outside of the NICU, but we have been blessed with Ruby. She has forever changed our lives, not only as a nurse but as a life long friend. Thank you will never be enough!"

may 2023- taylor leisring, NICU NURse at cincinnati children’s Hospital

Nominated by: Sicari Harned

“Our daughter was born at 24 weeks and 2 days. We spent 130 days in the NICU, 12 days at our birthing hospital before transferring to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for higher-level care. During our time we encountered many nurses, doctors, therapists, and other staff. Some stick out for good reasons and some not so good reasons. One nurse, in particular, stood out and was the first member of our daughter’s care team. From the beginning, Taylor saw our baby for who she would be at the end of our NICU stay. Common with micro-preemies they tend to brady/desat quite often. While others saw her as a difficult patient, she saw her as the feisty fighter she is. She often said, “I love that sassy feisty girl” and we knew she meant it. Taylor always went above and behind to make our stay as normal as possible. From spa day (bath day) with a towel head wrap and bubbles, to decorating her NICU room. Our favorite has to be the fashion shows! Before she could wear clothes, Taylor made sure her isolette had the cutest sheets and quilt to keep the light out, she was always the most fashionable baby in the NICU. When she could wear clothes Taylor always kept her dressed the BEST. TONS OF PINK. While these examples are not necessarily medical care, things like this brought us comfort in the NICU. We always had confidence that our daughter would be well taken care of when she was working. At every step of our journey, Taylor was there. Whether she was assigned to our daughter or not. From q1 one neuro checks, high sodium, to bottle feeds and to discharge, Taylor was there every step of the way."

april 2022- Jen Kloosterhuis, NICU NURse at Erlanger Baroness

Nominated by: Lisa Combs

"My baby girl Charlotte was born at 27 and 3 at just 1 pound 9 oz due to a number of pregnancy complications including preeclampsia, absent end diastolic flow, but ultimately HELLP Syndrome. This was my husbands and my first baby.

She spent 94 days in the NICU. So to say that we were scared would be an understatement. We had Jen as a nurse one of the first few days of being there and she ended up being Charlottes primary nurse within a week.

I have never met someone so compassionate and understanding in my life. Jen is one of the only reasons I made it through some days. I remember only a couple of days in, all I did was cry. Sometimes it would be a soft cry that I could keep to myself, but sometimes I would just absolutely break down.

I remember one of those moments, and Jen was right there to hold me while I sobbed in her arms. She never pretended to understand what I was going through, but knew the most compassionate things to say that would validate my feelings. She would do her job so well, and take amazing care of the other babies all while taking with us about Charlotte and going above and beyond to answer our questions and address our concerns. She is only 28 and has more empathy and compassionate than most older adults that I know. She made banners and crafts, scrapbook pages, and footprints posters for holidays, and loved and cared for Charlotte so well. She was patient, gentle, and always very careful.

She was there for all of it. The good, the bad, and the downright scary. Some of my most favorite memories are some of Charlotte’s firsts that we shared with Jen. And she always knew how to make them special for us. She knew how much it meant to us to have someone like that taking care of our baby and she would go above and beyond. She even went out and bought a card for my husband to celebrate his 30th birthday with charlottes footprints inside. On Easter, she crafted up an Easter “costume” with our other primary nurse Emma and she ended up figuring out a way to get Charlotte on the local news.

She always made everything so special for us. She truly healed our hearts in ways that I would never be able to describe and we will never be able to fully thank her for everything she did for Charlotte and us. She loves Charlotte so much that she now babysits for her and comes over to visit frequently and has become what we would consider a forever friend. I believe that she was sent to us by Jesus because He knew we needed an angel on Earth to make it through. I truly hope she wins this award, she is so, so, deserving of it."

MARCH 2022- KATRINA TRIPOLD, NICU NURSE, vANDERBILT

Nominated by: Brooke Schmidt

I had a complicated twin pregnancy (baby b had severe IUGR, cord flow issues, etc.) which then led to an early, emergency delivery of our boys. Bryce stayed at the delivering hospital and Isaiah went next door to the children's hospital. We were faced with life threatening diagnosis' of our sweet boy right as we were meeting Isaiah. His nurse, Katrina, never left Isaiah's side, poured everything she had into caring for him, advocated for us and him, answered our hundreds of hard questions, got down on her knees countless times to be eye level with me in a wheel chair, held my hand, loved us incredibly well and even gave my dad a hard time like he was her own (haha!!) ... and most importantly gave us the best experience despite it being our worst experience. If it weren't for her we wouldn't have had the experience we did. Because of her idea and her arranging all the moving parts, we were able to take Isaiah into a private room, away from the noise of the NICU, hold him for the first and last time, admire his features, allow his grandparents to hold him, pray over him and walk him through the gates of heaven.

february 2022- Barb Gareau, lisw-s:cleveland clinic fairview hospital

Nominated by: Jessica Soflkiancs

“Where to even begin about Barb… Barb was one of the first NICU professionals we met after delivering our son, Cayden, at 26 weeks. I’ll never forget the kindness and compassion that she greeted us with not only the day we delivered our son, but every day there afterwards. Barb was truly the glue that kept us together during our NICU stay. She provided us with financial resources, emotional resources… honestly any possible resources that one might need to get through such a difficult time. She was our go-to on the really hard days when we needed to let out a good cry, coordinated care conferences, returned my phone calls after her regular work hours, consistently went out of her way to check in on us, and still takes the time to pop-in on appointments just to say hello to our family even after almost two years. And during those visits, Barb is still providing us with community resources such as Help Me Grow, recreation suggestions, preschool discussions, etc. The list could really go on. To this day, Barb holds such a special place in our hearts. While her job might be a little more behind the scenes, we wouldn’t have survived the NICU without her. Barb truly cares about her families. We are forever grateful for Barb’s dedication to the wellbeing of our family and helping us through such a difficult time.

january 2022- Dr. Azhibekov, Neonatologist- Metrohealth hospital

Nominated by: Kelli Tibbitts

Kelli Tibbitts | Dr. Azhibekov was one of the amazing doctors and Metrohealth NICU staff members that took care of our 22 week micro preemie Claire. While our entire team worked wonders throughout our daughter's 6 month stay, one night in particular stands out to our family. Our daughter was 7 days old and began taking a turn for the worse, displaying internal bleeding. Her team worked continuously throughout the day, at times staffing her with over 4 nurses alone to make sure that she was receiving the immediate care that was necessary. Dr. Azhibekov was the Neonatologist on call and spent continuous hours working with the team. Unfortunately our daughter continued to decline throughout the day, and as the evening progressed with her condition worsening, we began to say our goodbyes, calling our family members that were unable to come into the NICU on a typical day due to Covid policies. Our family arrived and we spent the next hour processing the fact that we were going to lose our child. We specifically remember Dr. Timur coming to us at the bedside and providing the only option that was available, which was something that wasn't performed on babies as tiny as our daughter. We agreed to try any option that would help save her life, and in that hour, Dr. Azhibekov performed an 'at the bedside' emergency surgical procedure and medication that saved our daughter's life. Her stats immediately improved and we began to have hope again. We thought that we had lost our child, but Dr. Azhibekov and his team were able to provide life saving measures for her. Months later, we remember speaking with one of the Nurse Practitioners that was there that night and discussing how amazing what happened truly was. This individual shared that they are so grateful to work with Dr. Azhibekov and the Metrohealth team - and that night truly displayed why it is so important to stay up to date on current research in the medical field, not just neonatology. That current research is what helped our team to save our daughter. We are thankful to say that our daughter Claire graduated from the NICU in August 2021 and is growing and thriving at home!

december 2021- Carleigh Sher, NICU Nurse, greenwich hospital

Nominated by: Claudia Masseo

Claudia Masseo | When I gave birth to my twins 6 weeks early on January 5, 2021, I tested positive for COVID. I was put to sleep during the emergency c-section and did not see my babies in person for 10 days while they were in the NICU. They were in the NICU for 4 weeks.

The only way I was able to see my babies was through Zoom and FaceTime. While I was alone in the hospital (my husband could only visit for a few hours AFTER visiting the babies - he had tested positive 8 days before and was able to see them after 2 days). My L&D nurses were incredible and worked with Carleigh to give me access to an iPad that I could use to see the babies while in the hospital. Carleigh was a ray of sunshine - she sat on the other side of the screen while I cried and assured me they were healthy and being taken care of. When I went home after a few days, my husband would visit them and Carleigh would hold the phone so I could feel like I was there. She would teach my husband how to care for them - walk us through how to feed them, hold them, bathe them. She made sure I knew I could call at any time. I honestly don't think I would've gotten through those first 10 days without Carleigh as our nurse. Some nurses weren't as compassionate - or patient enough to take the time to let me FaceTime the babies. Carleigh went out of her way to figure out how to make this happen for me. I think it takes an incredible special person to be a NICU nurse (and L&D nurse) and my God, Carleigh is one of those special people. I genuinely don't know of anyone else who would deserve this recognition more. We ended up with many different nurses for the rest of their time in the NICU but we never forgot Carleigh and have stayed in touch since.

January 2021- Dr. Maria Battaglia, MD MS-Cohen Children's Medical Center

Nominated by: alexandra Thomas

Dr. Maria Battaglia was basically at our side from the beginning of our NICU experience, whether she was assigned or not. She has this calming, friendly bedside manner, while also giving the most in depth, but not completely terrifying explanations of what was happening with our daughter Eliana. We were always happy to hear from her, even over our attendings! We would always be so sad when she would rotate off of our case every two weeks, or switch hospitals for the month. But no matter what, if she was there, she was popping in to check on Eliana, but also, to check on us. How WE were. And honestly, it is something I will never forget as long as I live. It was all about her in the NICU, yes, but it was also about us and how we were surviving and getting thru it. To this day, 8 months out, we have become friendly. She follows Eliana's journey and insists on us texting with any questions (free of charge!). She also left a dinner she was having, to come into work, in her outstanding style to come see Eliana in the ER to make sure she was receiving top treatment. She is hands down, one of the best there is, and I have been waiting to be able to nominate her for something like this.

December 2020 -Michelle Scheetz, Physical Therapist, University Hospitals Rainbown Babies & childrens

Nominated by: stephanie clark

Where to start...Michelle is absolutely amazing. She is compassionate, bubbly, sensitive, and always has a smile on her face. She knows how to be gentle with both her patients and her patients’ families. She formed an incredible bond with my son that I will never forget. I always joked that Michelle was one of my son’s top 3 favorite people (the others being myself and my husband), and I don’t think she was number three haha. She helped my son achieve physical milestones that I didn’t think were possible. Most important was her ever present smile. No matter how difficult the day had been, she knew how to make us feel better. My husband and I are truly grateful to have crossed paths with such an amazing person, and she deserves recognition for the incredible work she does.

November 2020 -Nicole terzigni, RN, hillcrest hospital

Nominated by: Katie miller

I would like to nominate Nicole Terzigni, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nurse who primaried our son throughout his 117-day stay at Cleveland Clinic’s Hillcrest Hospital from October 2018 – February 2019.

Our son Theo was born 15 weeks early via emergency c-section the morning of October 26 th . My pregnancy had been progressing normally up to this point, so his early and unexpected arrival left my husband and I both in complete shock. Theo was bon at 25 weeks and 4 days and weighed 1 lb 10 oz.

After his birth, he was quickly stabilized and taken to the NICU where we spent the next 4 months pleading with God to save our son. Over the course of this time, he acquired a crew of gracious and determined primary nurses thanks to Jackie Ludwig, NICU Nurse, who admitted Theo. Jackie went to high school with my husband and decided to take Theo on as her primary. She set up a team of nursing peers who rallied around him as primaries throughout his stay. One of these nurses was Nicole Terzigni.

Nicole was primarying Theo on a day he received his first of several blood transfusions and I was a nervous wreck. I watched her move around the room with such grace and precision as more IV poles, pumps and cords crowded the room and engulfed our son. As new NICU parents, you are forced to make life saving decisions for your child with the guidance of medical professionals around you and all you can do is hope the decisions you are making are the best ones for your child. That day, Nicole put our fears at ease by answering our questions and concerns and reassuring us that we were doing everything in Theo’s best interest. When you are forced to face each minute with such uncertainty, the tiniest bit of reassurance and hope gives you the strength you need to keep going.

Nicole quickly formed a bond with Theo and with our family. We both come from an Italian heritage so the constant revolving door of food, family and friends inside of Room 21 over the course of many months did not surprise her. One morning I walked into Theo’s room and found her rocking him while listening to Frank Sinatra, she said, “Good morning! We’re having Italian time!” It’s one of my fondest memories.

Nicole was a preemie herself, born at Hillcrest Hospital at 36 weeks. She was 3 lbs and 14 oz and stayed in their NICU before it was the state-of-the-art 35-bed Level III nursery unit that it is today. Being a primary is a voluntary act of service and we cannot thank Nicole enough for choosing our son. We feel extremely grateful for the care and kindness we received from her throughout our stay and continue to stay in touch. Theo was discharged 16 days after his due date on February 20 th . Today he’s a happy, healthy, fully adjusted 2-year old and as Frank would say, the best is yet to come!

October 2020 -Marsha Ann Anderson, RN, Wellstar Cobb Hospital

Nominated by: Katie thomas

I am honored and humbled to nominate Marsha Ann Anderson, RN NICU CC III at Wellstar Cobb Hospital, for the Project NICU Heart Award. Ann was one of our primary NICU nurses for our son Jack. She calmed any fear my husband and I had about having to leave the hospital without our son. Ann’s skill set as a nurse was unquestionable, but her compassion is unlike anything I have seen.
In order to communicate the impact of Ann’s actions, I want to share a little bit about our delivery. My husband and I struggled for years to get pregnant. We underwent several rounds of infertility over several years and after our third IVF cycle, received the amazing news that we were pregnant. I had a relatively unexciting pregnancy but given the road we had traveled to become pregnant, was constantly anxious about the health of my unborn child. After being unable to be induced at the hospital at which I planned to deliver, my husband and I arrived at Wellstar Cobb Hospital with total unfamiliarity with the hospital facility, nursing staff and physicians that would deliver our first child.
Our induction began around lunch time on a Saturday and serious health issues were identified with my initial work up and bloodwork. I had developed severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. The next two days were very difficult for me and my husband. They were confusing, emotional, worrisome and exhausting. I was put on Magnesium Sulfate to avoid having seizures which significantly complicated my labor. At 7:39pm on Sunday evening after pushing for 3.5 hours, I delivered our son – Jack Andrew Thomas. My husband and I were elated to see our little boy; however, things were far from perfect. Our baby was limp and lifeless and was not crying. The NICU nurses were waiting for him in my room. The team intubated him and started chest compressions as the Magnesium Sulfate in his blood had had a major impact on his vital systems. While all this was going on, my husband and I were speechless and crying. Once stable, Jack was taken to the NICU immediately with my husband.
With the assistance and willingness of the night nursing staff, I was able to go see Jack after midnight in the NICU. I was very nervous as I couldn’t stop shaking, but was so happy to get to hold my baby. The next day I was put on bed rest so was unable to visit him.
My husband spent a lot of Monday in the NICU and when he came back to my room, he conveyed to me what an angel we had as a NICU nurse for Jack. I continued to hear how wonderful Ann was and how she couldn’t wait to meet me. She was able to calm my husband’s fears on Jack’s health and answered all of his questions. My husband said he knew I would love Ann as she was exceptionally knowledgeable, unbelievably caring and completely committed to the health of our son.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ann on Tuesday, the second day Jack was in the NICU. My husband did not disappoint me. Ann was truly an angel. I cannot even begin to describe with words the level of comfort she elicits with the parents of infants in her care. She helped me breast feed, she encouraged me take Jack’s temperature and change his diaper, she showed us how to feed him while he had a feeding tube, the list goes on. But most importantly Ann knew how to relate to me as a new mom. She was honest and compassionate. Ann clicked with our family in a way that I cannot describe. I remember distinctly one afternoon Ann reminding me that I needed to make sure I also took care of me. I was still recovering from my medical conditions and she could see the exhaustion in my face. She reassured me that Jack was in great hands in the NICU – and that in order to be the mom he needed – I needed to rest too.
Fortunately, Jack was only in the NICU for 11 days. While he did have some follow-up appointments, he is now a healthy 3 year old. We stayed in touch with Ann and went to visit her, and ironically enough ended up having her as a nurse for our second son, Charlie. Charlie was born 6 weeks early and was also immediately sent to the NICU. Thankfully I had a very easy delivery and he was a health 5 pound 7 ounce baby! Ann had come to visit me while I was on hospital bed rest in the weeks leading up to my delivery and she was already calming our fears regarding a potential second NICU stay. Her presence was integral in making me feel so much more comfortable in the NICU with Charlie and I know that her amazing care is what helped Charlie progress. While his stay was a little longer – he is now a healthy and happy 20 month old.
It is hard to convey the impact that Ann and the other NICU nurses had on our experience. The birth of our first child did not go at all like we had planned – it was much more complicated than we ever anticipated and required a lot more medical intervention than we would have ever dreamt. Ann’s skills, compassion, understanding and love made leaving the hospital every day for 11 days without our baby, somewhat bearable. I did not worry about my son in her care – I knew she was caring for him as if he was her own. The same sentiments rang true when we arrived in the NICU for a second time with Charlie. We continue to keep in touch with Ann as she is now an extension of our family. Ann is truly an angel to us and we are so very grateful for her amazing care.

September 2020 -Laura Wohl, Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest hospital

Nominated by: Alexa Bondra

Laura was primary nurse to our daughter Grace, who spent exactly 1 month in the Hillcrest NICU from birth on January 1, 2019 to February 1, 2019.

I am sure a lot of the things I am going to say about Laura are not going to be of much surprise to anyone. I have a feeling that the way Laura made our daughter and our family feel is the way that every family that she works and cares for felt in her presence.

When Laura told us (about after 4 days of being in the NICU) that she was now going to be our primary nurse, I had never felt so at peace in my life. From the moment we met Laura, she made us feel like everything was going to be ok. She showed a love for our daughter that I can't even explain. She instantly clicked with our family and I knew she was someone that I would never want Grace to go a day without knowing. Laura was always advocating for the best for Grace. She instilled confidence in my husband and I when we asked silly questions like first time parents or when she reassured us that Grace was going to be well taken care of even if we had to leave for 15 minutes to grab lunch in the cafeteria upstairs. The fears, the worries, the good days, the bad days, she was there and she made it all ok with a smile or a hug. Laura knew how to lift our spirits with good conversation when we needed it the most. From talking about the best hair bows to buy for Grace (a grandma of two granddaughters really knows these things), to reminding us of how much progress Grace has shown from the moment she was born, she always knew how to make us feel just a little better each day.

One day through random conversation, Laura had shared with us that she was actually fairly new to the nursing profession. Laura has been a NICU nurse for about 10 years now. She had a presence and grace about her that gave you the impression that she has been doing this her entire life. It is just in her nature to take care of babies, families and everyone around her.

Laura is a bright, caring, breath of fresh air beautiful human being. She is a Mother, a Gigi, a NICU Nurse and a Friend. Laura left a mark on our lives and our daughters that I will never be able to forget. Taking such precious care of Grace in her weakest and strongest moments. In just 30 days she showed us so much compassion and love that we could never repay her for.

The truth is, I have had plans to write this award for Laura since the day I brought Grace home from the NICU. She could not be more deserving of it.

A few weeks ago, I finally decided to take my kids out of the house to go to a local park to picnic. Much to my surprise, I ran into Laura with her daughters and grandchildren. My heart was so happy. Just being able to have Grace see Laura and see that she was doing well gave me yet again another sense of peace in these trying times, just like it did when she took care of us in the NICU.

God sends people into your life for different reasons. Laura was sent into ours to show us Graces strength and to remind us that if we stay strong as a family, we can get through anything.

Thank you Laura for taking care of our sweet Amazing Grace. We love you!  

August 2020 -Lindsay lucas, Cleveland Clinic Main Campus

Nominated by: Janet Sornberger

Lindsey Lucas saved our little boy!

When he was born at 24w3d, we didn’t know what to expect. Besides being ill myself due to severe preeclampsia, our sole focus was on Henry. Lindsey took care of Henry like he was her own baby. She was there when I was finally discharged and got to meet my son for the first time, and she was there for discharge home 175 days later. Lindsey comforted us when we needed it, praised us for the things we were doing to help our son, loved Henry like her own, and advocated for him when he needed it.

Her determination and love for our son was evident throughout the whole stay, and beyond. When Henry had a serious event that needed care, she jumped to his rescue. If she was nervous or scared, she never showed it. She was first to help him and reassured us when it was over that he was still here and the NICU does everything they can to save their patients. When he made good progress, she shared her joy with us. She is so proud of how far he has come since his early birth. When we left our son to get rest, we knew, if Lindsey was there, we could relax and know he was in the care of the best nurse for our son. When we had to return to work because FMLA was exhausted, Lindsey reassured us that Henry would be loved by her, and the other nurses and doctors. Meanwhile, while caring for our son, Lindsey was in a tumultuous time in her own life. She never faltered in her care while we were in the NICU. Her determination and love for her job showed in the care for our son. I so wish I could detail all the ways she helped our family, but this would be too long - how do you sum up 175 days with someone who has become part of our family and who we owe everything to? She saved our family and we are lucky to consider her Aunt Lindsey to our precious son. Lindsey and her huge heart have helped us in so many ways that we cannot detail, and she truly is the best NICU nurse we could have ever asked for. No parent wants or expects their child in the NICU, but with Lindsey, our journey was the best it could be. I hope she knows she found her calling in caring for the smallest babies, and that she should be recognized for her heroic efforts at her job in the Cleveland Clinic NICU at Main Campus.  

September 2019-Liz Geffert, Fairview hospital

Nominated by: Katie Charmley

There were so many amazing nurses and doctors helped care for our 27 weeker son when he was born 2.5 years ago at Fairview Hospital. However, one nurse will always be near and dear to my heart.

I will never forget being rolled into the NICU in a wheelchair up to my son's isolette for the first time - both my husband and I were both scared to death. We had only seen our son's face momentarily before he had been whisked away to the NICU after his breech and precipitous birth. I recall my husband and I being overcome with emotion as we first really got to see our son. I equally recall the warm, comforting, friendly nurse that greeted us and essentially introduced us to our son.

While we "met" our son, we also met Liz. Liz grounded us - she made us feel comfortable in the least comfortable position and place imaginable. She explained all the tubes, wires, bells, and alarms to us. She warned us about the 'NICU roller coaster' and the 'honeymoon' stage - both were incredibly true for us. Our son Anthony had good days and bad - and some really scary days too. We were learning to be parents and care for our son although we weren't doing that ever how we'd expected to.

As we were getting to know our son, we also got to know Liz. She always made us laugh! She always had a funny story to tell us - and her being so personalable made her like family to us. She shared stories about her family and her life that made us not think about all the stressful scary things we were going through. Liz was a breath of fresh air. Not only did she take excellent care of Anthony, she also took care of us. She taught me so many things... and was there to support my husband and I during our first kangaroo, diaper changes, cares, bottle feedings, baths. She would talk to us about her wonderful family and how she would share stories with them about 'silly' (or crazy) things Anthony did (he gave all the nurses a run for their money!) Liz also made cute little crafts from Anthony, and those items I will always cherish.

When Anthony was being moved to the developmental room we feared we would lose Liz as our primary. I recall being in that room the first day and although Liz was working, she wasn’t assigned to Anthony. Liz was able to step away to come visit us in the other room. I remember crying to her because I was so upset as it seemed like she wasn't going to be our nurse anymore. Liz was also upset we were moved! We addressed it with the charge nurse and some of the upper members of the staff. Fortunately, they moved Liz to the developmental room to continue to care for Anthony.

Liz was the comfort and consistency we needed! Although we were happy to leave the NICU after 75 long days, we were sad to leave Liz.To this day we think of her often and all the wonderful conversations and experiences we shared with her. She absolutely made an lasting impression on my family and we will forever be thankful for her. The care she provided us is unmatched. She is an amazing person and most definitely is an outstanding nurse that most definitely deserves to be recognized.

October 2019-Karen Fairbanks, Hillcrest Hospital

NOMINATED BY: KATIE MILLER

I would like to nominate Karen Fairbanks, NICU Nurse at Cleveland Clinic’s Hillcrest Hospital who primaried our son throughout his 117-day stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Hillcrest Hospital this last year. An entire team of caregivers went above and beyond for our son and our families over the course of our stay but Karen holds a special place in our hearts.

To give you a little bit of background, in May of 2018, my husband, Patrick and I found out we were expecting a child. As most new parents-to-be, we were excited and nervous in anticipation of expanding our family. My pregnancy had been progressing normally and remained uneventful aside from regular checkups with my OB. At 8:24 AM on October 26th our lives were forever changed as Theo James Miller was born 15 weeks early via emergency c-section. To say we were both in shock when the laborist explained that we would be having a baby that day is a complete understatement. Theo’s due date wasn’t until February 4, 2019, he was only 25 weeks and 4 days.

We spent the next 4 months on the second floor of Seidman Tower in Room 21 where we remained for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries and plenty of time in between. Over the course of that time, we watched our son overcome, premature lung disease, a grade 1 brain bleed, a PDA and sepsis. He was intubated, extubated, resuscitated, received several blood transfusions, steroids, phototherapy treatment, PICC lines, an OG and a NG. We had countless pediatric consults with endocrinology, general surgery, infectious disease, ophthalmology, pulmonology and others.

On Friday, November 23rd, Theo was almost transported to main campus for emergency surgery due to sepsis. It was the worst day of our lives yet Karen remained steadfast in making sure Theo was well taken care of as he remained lifeless in his isolette after a failed extubation. Seconds felt like hours as we awaited results from his bloodwork. I will never forget that day and I will never forget her compassion. She helped humanize having a child in critical condition and prayed with us. She gave us strength and hope on our darkest day.

Karen came in on her day off the day Theo was discharged to celebrate the joyous occasion and to make sure we understood all of his discharge instructions. She did the honor of removing his leads and turning off the equipment that he had been attached to throughout his length of stay. Truth be told, I think it was bittersweet for everyone. Theo has been home for 7 months and over the course of that time we have been in touch several times – morning, noon or night, she always makes herself available to answer any of our questions/concerns.

Unless you have experienced a long term NICU stay yourself, there is no way to truly understand how heart wrenching and devastating the experience can be at times. While this journey is certainly not something we planned for, my husband and I feel extremely grateful for the care and kindness we received from Karen throughout our stay. We had the opportunity to watch Theo go from being a 1 lb 10 oz micropreemie to a 17 lb bouncing baby boy thanks to the expert help from a team of medical professionals who are truly angels walking among us."