We have been on the fourth floor for both Christmas and New Year's and Aiesha Betancourt was like family. She showed trust, compassion, and knowledge to make sure my daughter had a smile. It was very difficult for us to see her have constant fevers and to see her so sick, but Aiesha's exemplary practice gave us strength. She was innovative like a lighthouse in a storm. She made me see the silver lining in the sky.
My daughter had moments of despair but Aiesha explaining the procedures, medicines, and all the possibilities from treatment gave us strength. Dealing with a toddler is not easy so it was important to celebrate each success we had to make sure she could eat, drink, and play. We had to create paper plate hats and a royal tea to motivate my daughter to take her medicines and Aiesha was our advocate.
The best part was Aiesha's shared leadership. My daughter loves her, and her sense of humor makes everything positive. It is not easy for nurses to see toddlers taking chemo and the side effects, but her optimism was a blessing. She has a way to cheer the family and this change causes my daughter to see that she makes progress each day. We are very thankful. We decorated our room from ceiling to the walls and Aiesha inspired us!