Beckie Tweedle, NICU Nurse
Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital
Nominated by Juliana Morgan

Our tiny miracle, Isabella Rose, was born on March 6, 2016 at 25 weeks weighing 1 lb. 4 oz. She came early due to complications with severe preeclampsia that left doctors no choice but to deliver. Isabella also suffered from IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), just days after she was born her weight dropped down to 15 ounces. The 151-day journey in the NICU was life changing and traumatic to say the least. But it was the amazing care of the staff (doctors, respiratory therapists, and nurses) in the NICU at Northwestern Prentice Hospital that made this terrifying experience manageable.

We were blessed to have wonderful experiences with so many nurses that took care of Isabella. She had quite the fan club! But of all the nurses, there was one so very special to me, my husband, our families, and especially to Isabella, Beckie Tweedle. There are so many wonderful things about Beckie that make her the most amazing nurse and so deserving of the Owl Give Award. She embraced us at our worst time with her calm warm smile that helped put our fears at ease. She was Isabella’s number one advocate.

When Isabella needed diuretics due to severe edema, and doctors couldn’t find the right combination to help decrease it, Beckie researched and presented her recommendations to the doctors. She is highly respected by her colleagues, which was evident at rounds every day when she would advocate, recommend, and collaborate with the medical team. It was Beckie’s relentless determination to provide Isabella with the best care that helped improve her respiratory status.

We spent every day at the hospital and the days with Beckie were our favorite. She saw us at our worst and loved us anyways. She always offered a shoulder to cry on, she brought humor into our life when we needed it, and most importantly she loved loved loved our Isabella.

Beckie had such an impact on Isabella’s progress. Isabella felt her positive energy, she thrived off her snuggles, and excelled because of their One Direction sing-a-longs (well, actually, Beckie did the singing)! There was nothing more comforting to my husband and me than knowing Isabella’s nurses truly loved her.

Beckie is a gem. She is calm, kind-hearted, happy, loving, and so incredibly smart. She became family, and we would never have made it through five-months in the NICU without her. I always told her that a NICU is a place you never want to end up. Now that we did, because of her, we didn’t want to leave. She so deserves this honor. She was there on the toughest days for Isabella. I watched her revive her, I watched her advocate for her, and I watched her love and nurture Isabella as if she were her own. There is no greater comfort to a parent than that.”