What seemed like a simple case of allergies turned into Shelby Skiles’ worst nightmare.
It turned out that her 2-year-old daughter Sophie actually had T-cell lymphoma.
She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the condition.
Shelby would then spend what seemed like endless nights sleeping at the hospital while her daughter, who was her only child, received treatment.
Sophie was awaiting a stem cell transplant after she had undergone 15 rounds of chemotherapy to stop the progression of her cancer.
As a result, Sophie was unable to walk, talk, or eat by herself.
Shelby was unable to sleep that night.
But she couldn’t get something out of her mind.
It was the dedication of the nurses. She and her husband Jonathan must have met hundreds of nurses during Sophie’s hospital visits. Since she couldn’t fall asleep, Sophie decided to do some writing.
“I just started writing down what the nurses do and it just kept going,” she told ABC News. “All the things I see them do for us and for other people, like the nurse who sat on the floor with me when I had a panic attack when we got the diagnosis.”
This brought her to pen a heartwarming tribute that she posted on Facebook.
Her post went on to detail the selfless nature of their actions which are extremely difficult for typical human beings to handle.
“You try so hard to be unnoticed by me and my child. I see your face drop a little when she sees you and cries,” she wrote.
“You try so many ways to ease her fears and win her over. I see you hesitate to stick her or pull bandaids off. You say ‘No owies’ and ‘I’m sorry’ more times in one day than most people say ‘thank you’. I see all of those rubber bracelets on your arms and wrapped around your stethoscope, each one for a child that you’ve cared for and loved.”
Shelby admired how nurses would try to quietly sneak in and out while performing their tasks despite being busy and called over to another room.
She would also see nurses go above and beyond their call of duty.
Sorting piles of beads so that patients can add to their milestone necklaces or making sure the children were tucked into bed tightly so they feel cozy.
“I see you holding the crying mom that got bad news. I see you trying to chart on the computer while holding the baby whose mom can’t-or won’t be at the hospital with her,” Shelby wrote. “You put aside what’s happening in your life for 12 hours straight to care for very sick and something’s dying children. You go into each room with a smile no matter what’s happening in there.”
Nurses not only care for their patients but they fight for them too.
They call doctors, blood banks, and pharmacies as many times as they need to to get what they need for their patients on time.
They also make sure to check on the parents as many times as they check on the children.
“I see you. We all see you. No amount of snack baskets or cards can fully express how appreciated you are. You are Jesus to us every single day,” Shelby wrote. “Our children wouldn’t get what they need without you. Moms like me wouldn’t feel sane or heard without you. You save our babies and we couldn’t do this without you. Love, A mom that sees all you do and loves you dearly for it.”
Shelby’s daughter eventually passed away. But according to her Facebook page, Sophie The Brave, she is currently expecting a baby boy and still works to bring awareness to the plight of families dealing with cancer and the angels who help them through the tough times.
Many were touched by Shelby’s post which went viral and was shared more than 38,000 times. You can read her post below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
https://www.facebook.com/sophiethebrave/photos/a.708935729291785/764613773723980/?type=3&theater
