We met Kristina on our first visit to MEEI. My son needed an evaluation under sedation for his left eye due to a suspicious mass. I was considerably worried and she put me right at ease. She walked me through what was going to happen, made sure we were comfortable in our room, and checked on us frequently. When they took him, she made me sit and drink and eat. She knew that I am a nursing mom, so she made sure I could pump and keep my strength up. She asked us questions about our family and kept us company during the procedure. Unfortunately, we did not get good news that day. The doctor informed us it was cancer and my son would need to have his eye removed the following week. Kristina went out of her way to stay with us and comfort us. She held him so I could go get food. She rocked him and sang to him. He loved her.

A week later, she made sure to be our nurse for the most traumatic experience of my life. She remembered everything about our family, including the name of his twin brother and older brother. She requested a social worker to visit us. She called down to the OR when they were late. She walked the halls with us. Kristina even took the time to have someone check my husband's eye and get him to the ER (he got viral conjunctivitis during all this). I truly believe she is the reason I made it through that horrible day. When she got off that day, she called the floor to check on us.

I will never be able to thank her enough for the kindness and compassion she showed to us during this very difficult time, but I hope this letter and the DAISY Award would begin to show our appreciation.