May 2026 Honoree
Abby Birt, RN
When my wife and I conceived our little girl, we got the unfortunate news that she had Turner's syndrome, which has an incredibly high mortality rate in utero. So when we got to our 22-week appointment with our OB, we got the terrible news that our baby girl did not have a heartbeat and then confirmed through ultrasound that she had passed away. We had only been married six months at this point, and this was our first child and pregnancy, and as you can expect, this was the worst news in the world.
Our OB scheduled us to come into St. Joe's the next day to begin the induction process. This was because the baby was far enough along that she had to be delivered vaginally. As you can imagine, this was a devastating time: the initial horrible news of losing our little girl, coupled with the news that my wife would still have to give birth despite no mental, physical, or emotional preparation.
Fast forward to the next day when we check in to St. Joe's, and we meet our team of nurses, Jane and Abby. They immediately made us feel like family during this terrible ordeal, anticipating our needs, explaining everything to us, and genuinely loving us through our pain with selfless acts of service and professionalism. They protected our room fiercely, grieved with us, and made the room a sanctuary where we could grieve and be with each other. They made us feel like family and that we were loved.
My wife does not like needles, so through all the different needles and the epidural, they helped her, coached her, and distracted her. At their shift change, they came to say goodbye, and Abby had made my wife a bracelet with our sweet little girl’s name on it. Touches like these were the hallmark of their care.
We met our night shift nurse a little nervously because she had big shoes to fill, but Alenya stepped into them with a flair. The same selfless care and professionalism with a very human and empathetic touch was handed over like a torch in such a seamless manner. Between both shifts, you could definitely tell these individuals went beyond their training and genuinely cared.
Anyway, Alenya was there with us during our most trying time, the actual labor and delivery and the long, dark, sleepless hours that led up to them. She handled everything that came her way with grace and a quip when it was appropriate, and gave us space when needed. Again, the feeling of being part of a family was so prevalent.
During the delivery, she was at my wife’s head, helping, coaching, and encouraging. And during the terrible, but wonderful moments where we got to hold our little one, she guarded our room like a lion to ensure we were not disturbed.
These three nurses exemplify the very best that the profession has to offer and are shining examples of care, professionalism, and empathy. Our experience during the worst time of our lives was made significantly easier because of the tireless dedication these nurses showed. We are so incredibly thankful for them and hope we can work with them again if we are so blessed to have another child!
Our OB scheduled us to come into St. Joe's the next day to begin the induction process. This was because the baby was far enough along that she had to be delivered vaginally. As you can imagine, this was a devastating time: the initial horrible news of losing our little girl, coupled with the news that my wife would still have to give birth despite no mental, physical, or emotional preparation.
Fast forward to the next day when we check in to St. Joe's, and we meet our team of nurses, Jane and Abby. They immediately made us feel like family during this terrible ordeal, anticipating our needs, explaining everything to us, and genuinely loving us through our pain with selfless acts of service and professionalism. They protected our room fiercely, grieved with us, and made the room a sanctuary where we could grieve and be with each other. They made us feel like family and that we were loved.
My wife does not like needles, so through all the different needles and the epidural, they helped her, coached her, and distracted her. At their shift change, they came to say goodbye, and Abby had made my wife a bracelet with our sweet little girl’s name on it. Touches like these were the hallmark of their care.
We met our night shift nurse a little nervously because she had big shoes to fill, but Alenya stepped into them with a flair. The same selfless care and professionalism with a very human and empathetic touch was handed over like a torch in such a seamless manner. Between both shifts, you could definitely tell these individuals went beyond their training and genuinely cared.
Anyway, Alenya was there with us during our most trying time, the actual labor and delivery and the long, dark, sleepless hours that led up to them. She handled everything that came her way with grace and a quip when it was appropriate, and gave us space when needed. Again, the feeling of being part of a family was so prevalent.
During the delivery, she was at my wife’s head, helping, coaching, and encouraging. And during the terrible, but wonderful moments where we got to hold our little one, she guarded our room like a lion to ensure we were not disturbed.
These three nurses exemplify the very best that the profession has to offer and are shining examples of care, professionalism, and empathy. Our experience during the worst time of our lives was made significantly easier because of the tireless dedication these nurses showed. We are so incredibly thankful for them and hope we can work with them again if we are so blessed to have another child!
Thank you, Abby, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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