My 13-year-old daughter was brought into the ER in severe pain. The doctors discovered a large cyst on her ovary and admitted her with the possibility of surgery looming over us. I am not a nervous person, but to see your child in pain is unbearable; it tests your patience, bravery, and stamina. I barely slept and had a million questions and two million worries. In walks Shirley. She is as professional as she is kind. She is bright and articulate. She took the time to not only explain things to me in layman’s terms but to say them in words that were way less frightening for my daughter, who was within earshot. Without minimizing the situation we were in, Shirley’s positive view of life, its beauty, and all the wonder in the body’s ability to heal, brought me back to a healthy mindset. Her outlook on medicine, our bodies, our ailments, and life is contagiously optimistic. Her presence in and of itself is calming. I have spent my life trying to find the good in even the worst situations. I can sincerely say that meeting Shirley was "the good" in this traumatic event. She gently reminds you of how amazing life is, how beautiful our health is, and how even in the ailments your body is speaking to you, reminding you how to take care of it. Shirley is a gift to this hospital and certainly was a gift to my daughter and me.