My mom was in the emergency department for the second time in three months for different types of infections that made her very ill. She is 86 years old and is an important part of my life. Melissa was assigned to my mom’s care the first time and immediately created a connection with her since Melissa was close to her grandmother, who had passed away. She immediately connected with my mom and was always one step ahead of the care that was needed for her. As soon as we thought we needed to push the call button to access some level of care, Melissa would always come in to address that very need without us asking. Her ability to be kind and have conversations with my mom during a time when she was ill made a really bad situation manageable. Additionally, her ability to communicate with family members and me specifically during this time sets her apart from many other care providers we’ve experienced, especially in emergency rooms, where the pace is fast, and it is difficult to take time to communicate with family members. After having such a positive experience with her in October, we just last week had to take mom to the hospital again, and once again, Melissa was our nurse. Immediately, I felt myself relax as I knew the care my mom was going to get was going to be nothing but the best. We are thankful for Melissa and hope that she is considered for this important award as we need more nurses just like her!