While all the nurses have been wonderful at All Children's, Greg has gone above and beyond anything we could've expected. We have been at the hospital for over a month with my nephew CN and right away, Greg did whatever he could to help with him and to help us. CN's encephalitis has been difficult on our family. We keep a family member in his room 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I personally stay every other night with him, and it was one night early on that I met Greg.

Although Greg wasn't CN's official nurse for the night, Greg volunteered to give CN his medicine (which anyone who has done this, knows what a struggle it is). But what really touched me was that after he gave CN his medicine, he immediately picked him up and rocked him on his shoulder until he calmed down. Since then, Greg has made a point to regularly check on CN and us. Whenever he is on, he has come in to see CN. But he also always asks how we are too; Greg always stops me in the hallway to ask how I am and how my family has been. He tries to make me smile and give us some kind words of encouragement.

A recent night with CN is one of my favorite times with Greg. The night started with Greg stopping me in the hallway to ask how I was doing and that CN has been in his thoughts and prayers, and to encourage me with some past experiences he's had with encephalitis. And then he asked if it was alright for him to come in and see CN. From that point on, Greg came by all night long to help my night nurse with CN. When the IV team came in to fix CN's IV, Greg came in to offer an extra pair of hands. When CN's feeding tube tape was coming off, Greg returned to help quiet CN down and fix it. Anytime I hit the nurse alarm for help, Greg came in right away for me, no matter what it was.

The most touching moment was around 2:30 am, CN had been squirming a lot due to his illness he couldn't go back to sleep. I was pretty tired and Greg came in to check on me. He then told me to go lie down and get some sleep and that he would hang out with CN. He picked CN up and rocked him. I fell asleep to the sound of Greg humming to CN while CN talked to him. In the morning, before Greg got off his shift, he came in to say goodbye to CN and me for the day. He asked me if I spent the entire 14 hours that I was at the hospital staying in the room. When I said yes, he told me next time I was here, that he or another nurse would be happy to stay with CN for a bit so I could get something to eat and stretch my legs.

In the month that we've been there, he was the first nurse to offer staying up with him at night so I could sleep and staying with him so I get some air. Greg has been a blessing to us during our stay at All Children's. His kindness towards CN and me and his passion for helping has been overwhelming and amazing. I cannot think of a more deserving person of this award and I sincerely hope you will recognize him for what a wonderful nurse he is.

I am grateful that I've had the chance to get to know Greg.