In August, my mom was in a ten hour surgery to receive the lungs she needed and we have waited four years to get. Around 7:30 am a smiling, energetic and focused nurse named Erin introduced herself to my dad and me. She made friendly conversation with us which was calming and exactly the way we needed it at that moment. When my mom arrived from the OR to her room on 8 South a few hours later, it was controlled chaos. Her condition was mostly stable but the complexity of her transplant caused many residual challenges post-op. From the time my mom arrived on the unit until the end of her shift, Erin only sat down once. The demands of such a critical patient were evident only by how much work Erin was doing. But any exhaustion or attitude fluctuation never showed up on Erin's face or in her care. To say she was tireless is an understatement. She handles scary concerns in my mom's condition with grace, she worked to keep her comfortable in every way possible, and showed us more patience and compassion than I ever expected. This experience has been a true roller coaster for my family though we rely on and take comfort in medical technology; there is simply nothing that can replace human-to-human connection. Erin touched our hearts as she took delicate care of our loved one. She is truly a gifted nurse with a heart of gold - DAISY worthy without a question.