05/28/2026
Yesterday I said we would announce the second part of Hayleyâs birthday giveback. Itâs a little bit of a long read, but I hope youâll read to the end. This oneâs important. This give back is for the nurses đ€
So small story. Behind the scenes the past few months, Iâve been dealing with some illness and while in the ICU a few weeks ago, I met a nurse who immediately made me reflect in so many ways. This nurse was special. She flooded the room with kindness, a caring nature, and lightheartedness as soon as she walked in. She was encouraging and comforting. She stayed in my room to chart at times just to talk so I wouldnât be alone and she truly just had such a genuine heart. At the same time, we started talking nursing (of courseđ€Ș) and she was working an overtime shift, without having had any days off. She was switching between days and nights to meet the needs of the unit and to make ends meet for her family. And that particular day she was missing her college graduation for her BSN to work that shift. We cried together. Because we both got it. Nurses become nurses to help. Plain and simple. But there is a sacrifice with nursing as well. Itâs selfless, but thankless. Itâs pouring your heart and soul out to care for patients, while also counting up the overtime shifts (or extra PRN jobs) you have to pick up to make ends meet. Itâs tiring and heart wrenching in many moments, BUT itâs worth it when you are able to help one person, help one patient feel seen, help one person feel heard, or reassure someone they arenât alone. This nurse particularly did all of these things, and did them well!
And this whole circle of events took me back to remembering some of my favorite people we met along Hayleyâs journey - her nurses. I could tell a million stories of SO many who impacted us. (I wish I had pictures of her with them all!) Those who cared for her while I worked and made sure to update me all day long because they knew my mind was always on her. Those who made hospital stays bearable. Those who planned schedules days in advance to make sure they were the assigned nurse for Hayley on the days they were scheduled. Those who took the time out of their shift to help me wash EEG glue out of her hair or paint her sweet little nails in the PICU or come sing Moana with her. Those who put up with her sass and loved her for it too. Those who advocated. Those who fought alongside us. Those who cared with all of their heart and soul about my baby girl! I cannot tell you how many times I redirected doctors back to the nurses because they were the ones who knew her best and what she needed. Nurses are healing, and irreplaceable. And even though we would have never chosen this medical journey, we wouldnât have wanted to walk through it with anyone else than who we had. My girl was LOVED by her nurses and we were lucky.
SO weâve helped kiddos and families and future nurses but this giveback is for the current nurses!! I want to hear about ALL the wonderful nurses here. There are a little over 1.5k people following this page - please mention your favorite nurses. Tag them if you can. Tell us why theyâre amazing. Tell us anything about them. If you cared for Hayley as a nurse at any point, a simple comment would mean so much to us to know youâre following along still. We want to give back to some of the incredible nurses following along this journey with us. Whether you knew Hayley or not, regardless of your speciality, the population you work with, etc., we want to know about you. Because nurses are special. And for Hayleyâs special day, weâll be recognizing and giving back to some special nurses as well đ€
And if youâre a nurse reading this, I want to encourage you in knowing that the work youâre doing is healing and powerful and you matter so much. Hayley wouldnât have had the three beautiful years she did without the care and love of her nurses along the way, and Iâll always stand by that statement. đ
(And side note if you share this, and I truly hope you will, and a comment does not make it to the original post please share it in the original because I canât always see the shared posts)
Canât wait to hear about all of your favorite nurses, or even yourself. There will be a drawing for this give away and it will be done next week. Your 5th birthday is a huge milestone, and weâre going to celebrate that milestone for Hay big this year - all because of and for my sweet Hayley Jade đ€đ
