This most recent hospitalization for our son was the third in about 6 weeks. He was scared and depressed about being at CHOP so often. When he met Laura, she worked earnestly at building rapport with him and even though he had many excellent CHOP nurses, Laura was the one who calmed his fears and developed his trust. Her nursing care went above and beyond any ordinary care by executing her professional duties in ways that valued our son's unique personality and needs along with navigating very difficult and often stressful demands of a multi-faceted care plan.

My son looked for Laura and responded well to her when his health circumstance changed for the worst unexpectedly. She effectively communicated between multiple health professionals (PICU Doctors, General Surgeons, Neurosurgeons, PICU Nurses, ID Doctors, respiratory therapists) and my wife and me. She worked longer than her 12 hour shifts required to make sure care plans were transitioned and helped out when needed after shifts when our son was having bedside surgery, where she "simply" held his hand to reassure him the chaos around him would settle and he would be alright.

Laura managed the increasing needs of our son's care with exemplary knowledge and problem solving skills. More impressive to us than that, she knew so many areas, was that when she did not know immediately, she knew who to ask and what questions needed to be addressed.