Elle was my ICU nurse during a lengthy (nearly 3 weeks) hospital stay following the birth of my baby which came with unexpected complications. This was an extremely stressful and difficult time for me and my family because I came to the hospital expecting a routine childbirth and instead went through numerous emergency surgeries. I was away from my baby during much of my hospital stay, which was difficult. My husband was amazing support, but he, too, was stretched thin physically and emotionally trying to care for both me and our newborn baby. Elle was extremely supportive of both me and my husband. She showed that she truly cared about us as people and went above and beyond to support our "spirits."

The day after one of my more major surgeries (in which there was a lot of blood everywhere, including my hair), Elle helped make me feel human again by finding a way for me to "wash" my hair and tidy it up overall. She spent time with me just to make me feel heard and cared for rather than a burden. Elle was also supportive by getting to know our family and providing a lot of encouragement about my ability to recover and all the things to look forward to with our baby and family when we got to go home to my baby and our dog.

On Elle's day off, she brought us the most thoughtful gift bag, which was SO KIND of her, with treats for our baby (including little notes to help us use them as new parents who are still learning so much!) and for my husband. This was an AMAZING 'pick me up' emotionally and really lifted our spirits. It gave us a glimpse of life outside of the hospital, and the fact that she cared enough for our family to put together such a thoughtful care package from her family truly brought tears to me. Elle coming into the hospital on her day off to give this to us speaks volumes of her as a person.