Our 29-year-old daughter was admitted to the ICU after being transported by ambulance from our hometown ER, and two days on an acute floor where fluid on her heart was removed and a mass on her chest compressed her breathing. As things declined, she was transferred to the MICU NT 6 floor. As parents, we were terrified. As we stood in the hall waiting to see our daughter, we observed Adrianna taking care of an individual. We were both impressed with her demeanor and personality. Independently, we both were hoping she would be our daughter’s nurse. Unfortunately, that was not the case. After a very long day receiving a cancer diagnosis and a terrible evening with a lot of pain and tears, we left the hospital in despair.

When returning the next morning, we were pleasantly surprised to see Adrianna in our daughter’s room, and better yet, our daughter was alert and smiling. Adrianna took the time to get to know our daughter and made her feel calm. She explained everything that was going on and was an advocate for her care. She made sure her pain was controlled and her anxiety was addressed. She never made it feel like she was being put out when the nurse button was pushed. Adrianna not only supported our daughter but looked after our needs as well. She told us when and where things were going to happen and made sure we were where we needed to be. She checked and rechecked her medicine and made certain they were correct. She made us all laugh when things got rough just by being herself. Adrianna found hair ties, socks, deodorant, and anything we would request. Adrianna was our light in a very dark tunnel.