Alyssa is the nurse that you hear about in fictional tales. She goes out of her way for each of her patients on every shift. By the time we arrived on the floor, we had been in the ED for over four hours. We were worried about our son, we were all starving, stressed and upset. We were a scattered mess of a mom and dad.

When we arrived at our room, this beautiful soul of a person walked in. She was calm, understanding, knowledgeable, and kind. She listened to our concerns and heard our immediate needs. She didn't rush us or interrupt. She understood that our child needed dinner, and she laid out realistic expectations of when he could eat. Since it was too late for the meal to be delivered from the dining room, she went and got him dinner. That was something we could have done, but she took care of it for us. I was blown away by this gesture.

Alyssa cared for our son as if he was her own. She also cared for us by listening, having patience, and showing grace to a family that she had never met. It may have started with that first dinner, something so small and seemingly insignificant to her, but her poise and passion for her career showed through time and time again. We are honored that we got to have her all three nights of our stay. Her calming demeanor and sounding grace brought peace to our family during a time of crisis. She is a beautiful gift that Children's of Alabama gave to us. We are forever grateful for Alyssa.