My daughter, D, came to Dayton Children's within a few hours of being born. D was born with myelomeningocele spina bifida, clubbed feet, hydrocephalus and vascular malformations. In the NICU, we had interactions with so many wonderful doctors and nurses; however, one nurse stood out, Sydney Davis.
Sydney was assigned to D early on during her stay. Almost immediately, I took note of her positive energy and her comforting demeanor. Over the course of D's 18 day stay in the NICU, Sydney was often assigned to be D's nurse and if we knew she was scheduled, we requested her.
D needed to be straight-cathed to drain her bladder. We watched some nurses struggle with this, but not Sydney... she was able to complete this with ease. She was so patient with teaching me and D's father how to cath D. Sydney could recognize what was normal for D's behavior. When the fluid in D's ventricles begin to increase, Sydney took note of the change in her behavior and discussed it with the doctors and nurse practitioners.
My husband and I would typically leave in the early hours of the morning to come home and sleep in our house with our other children and care for our animals. While it was hard to leave our baby in a hospital every night, when Sydney was D's nurse I felt so much better knowing that she was in great hands. If D was upset during the night Sydney took care of her like she was her own, rocking and carrying her until she felt comforted.
I am forever grateful to the nurses and doctors of Dayton Children's, but I will always remember Sydney and the care and comfort she gave to D and our family. Sydney is an asset to Dayton Children's, thank you for having such a knowledgeable, passionate, spunky nurse like Sydney on your staff.
Sydney, your dedication to this patient is beyond inspirational. Thank you for caring for D and her family with love and a full heart. Your hard work is exceptional.