Rachel Solano, NICU Nurse
Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital
Nominated by Rochelle Edens
Rachel was one of Evan’s primary nurses at Prentice. She typically works the afternoon shift and my schedule was normally 9 – 5 so I didn’t get to spend as much time with Rachel as I did with others. However, the old adage about time rings true…..quality trumps quantity. In very little time I knew that Rachel was an exceptional nurse for Evan. What made Rachel exceptional?
There’s isn’t just one thing – its many things, from the little things to the big things. For example, we lost Evan’s twin brother and the early days were extremely difficult. Evan was so sick and fragile and I was afraid I would lose him as well. Rachel showered Evan with love and compassion, referred to him as her ‘boyfriend’ and helped me put aside me fears so that I could bond with this tiny little being that needed his mother’s love more than anything. Rachel was also the one that delivered the “it’s a marathon and not a sprint” speech when the days in the NICU ran into weeks and the weeks into months.
We transferred to Lurie’s and I decorated Evan’s room with wall art created by Rachel. No milestone went by without her notice. She is truly one of the craftiest nurses around. She took countless pictures of Evan with the camera that I left for her. Wall art and photos may not sound like much but as a mom, who has now spent months in Evan’s room, the milestones, the moments that I missed and the art mean a lot. It gives me hope and encouragement that he will continue to grow and a true sense of appreciation for how far he’s come. These mementos will eventually make their way into an album that I will give to Evan when he’s grown. I’ll be able to say “look at this little footprint and see how small your feet where, your nurse Rachel made this”.