... my three and a half month old son was admitted to Carle for a rare diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. We began treatment, which involved an IVIG and aspirin regimen. All the staff was excellent and during this stressful time all the nurses were trustworthy, knowledgeable, comforting, funny, and lightened the mood a great deal. Most were "gold star" worthy and we submitted gold star forms accordingly. There was one nurse who stood out among the rest, Allyson Cender.

Allyson was the sweetest and provided exceptional care in many ways. She was extremely empathetic and made a potential life-saving decision and acted quickly. First several times she asked if there was anything she could get for me. Most times I told her I was fine. As I was trying to comfort my baby all night, she was able to see how exhausted and stressed I was getting. She said "do you want me to hold him for a while so you can rest?" That was all it took, a few minutes of her taking over so I could recharge. She was so sweet and as stubborn as I was, she knew I needed a break and did not stop offering in a very kind non-evasive manner. During the middle of the night as my son was getting treatment, he began to have a reaction to the treatment and was shaking, fever rose, and heart rate went up. Allyson came in, evaluated the situation and got the treatment stopped and explained to me clearly what was going on. Whether she called the doctor first or stopped the treatment before notifying the doctor, I do not know as it all happened so quickly.

Throughout the rest of the night she checked on my baby frequently. It was very comforting knowing she was on staff and keeping watch over our son. She advocated for us by relaying concerns and information to the on call doctor, and advocating in the best interest of my child, she definitely provided excellent customer service and nursing care with her knowledge and quick acting in a stressful situation as well as educating me on what was going on and ensuring I understood all the information presented.

Thanks Allyson and everyone else in Peds involved for a great stay and helping my son get better.