Ultimate Au Pair 2018 Finalist: Angie from Colombia

Angie has been more than just a great help to our family; she has been a lifesaver.When she arrived in April, we knew that our unborn baby, Thomas, would be born like his older brother, Brenner (now 2 years old), with bilateral clubfoot. I knew that we would need Angie's help during the first few months of Thomas' treatment, but I could never have anticipated how helpful she would be.When she arrived, Brenner, at 19 months, was still not walking on his own due to his own clubfoot treatment, but Angie -- a pediatric physical therapist in Colombia -- worked with him every day until he took his first steps.

Because of that, we never needed to take Brenner to a physical therapy office. When Thomas was born in June, and his intense treatments began (which are still ongoing), Angie practically took over Brenner's daily schedule Monday through Friday, allowing me more time to go back and forth to the orthopedic surgeon's office for Thomas' treatment, and to take care of our miserable new baby!

Additionally, Angie speaks Spanish exclusively to the boys, and we have loved watching Brenner learn and begin to speak some Spanish words. As a bonus, she introduced Brenner to his favorite food, the arepa, which she serves him at least once a week (and which he will always pick, even over pizza), and she organized an incredible Colombian barbeque with several other Colombian au pairs for our family, neighbors, and friends. We were the hit of our block here in downtown Cartersville that Sunday, with loud Colombian music, dancing Colombian au pairs, and delicious Colombian food!

Every day, I am reminded of how important -- vital, really -- Angie is to our family. Without her, Brenner would not have received the attention he deserves during his brother's treatment, and I would not have had the energy to deal with Thomas' medical issues. Most importantly, the love and patience that she shows our boys every single day makes me beam with happiness.Angie is not just the ultimate au pair of the year...She is the ultimate au pair of the decade!

The Ferguson Family

Cartersville, GA