Marce stepped up without hesitation. She kept life as normal as possible for the kids while teaching them how to be gentle and cautious around me during my eight-week recovery. She didn’t just manage the logistics of who had to be at what camp when—she managed the the kids big feelings, reassuring them, listening, and making certain they felt comfortable talking about worries and preparing them to always be gentle around me during healing.

Then, during that same period, we received additional life-changing news: our four-year-old son was diagnosed with Autism. Marce had always been incredibly close to him, understanding his needs better than anyone. There have been many times that we, as Ezra’s parents couldn’t figure out what he needed or how to navigate a new behavior.

Marce’s bond with him is so special that she typically knows what his little body and mind needs to regulate again. She has been able to gently guide us while never stepping on our toes or making us feel bad. When we were deep into the grief parents feels when their child is given a forever diagnosis, Marce only saw Ezra for his accomplishments, and never wavered in believing in his potential. This alone has been one of her greatest gifts to us. When we learned Ezra would need a support person at preschool, Marce didn’t think twice—she eagerly volunteered to be that person. She attended pre-school twice weekly, and even became a classroom volunteer, helping other children, some of whom were experiencing their first exposure to English. Her ability to bridge communication between teachers and students was remarkable.

Marce has fully embraced American culture—from trying Indiana State Fair pickle pizza to rafting in a glacier fed river in Montana. At the same time, she has shared her own culture with us, waking us up on birthdays with a traditional Guatemalan song and introducing us to some of the most delicious food we’ve ever tasted, like the shucos. Sharing stories from her country in so naturally intertwined into our daily conversations, that our kids forget their peers don’t know all about things like the volcanos outside of Antigua. Taking our family to visit Marce back in Guatemala someday is a bucket list item for our family.

There is never a day that we don’t consider ourselves lucky—not just to have an au pair, but to have Marce in our lives. In the last six months especially, multiple times a week my husband or I say, “We do not know how we would have navigated life without her.” She has shown up every time with a good attitude, ready to help, and loving our kids—even when they make it hard. Marce hasn’t just spent the last 21 months caring for our children— she has become a valued community member, a friend to many, a willing helper for other au pairs, my go-to rating meter for so many teenager requests, and ours and our sons’ biggest cheerleader. She is more than an au pair; she is family, and we cannot imagine our lives without her.

If this contest is about finding someone extraordinary, look no further—because Marce is the definition of extraordinary.