Abby works as a nurse on Labor and Delivery floor at Carolinas Medical Center University. I was recently a patient at this hospital and received excellent care throughout the entire experience, but Abby stands out for her care given to me and my family. I was 39 weeks and 6 days pregnant with our first child, a boy. That Saturday night, I had decreased fetal movement and went to the ER. The roles had flipped and I had gone from being a strong confident ICU nurse to a sad and scared patient. After being checked into the nursing unit, the unimaginable had happened and we had learned that we had lost our baby. We were so close to what was supposed to be the most joyful time in our lives and it had quickly turned into a living nightmare.
Abby was my dayshift nurse on my second day in the hospital. She had a very sweet, compassionate, and quiet way about her. She not only took excellent care for me, but also ensured my family was comfortable. I had a lot of family and friends in and out that day and she never questioned it and made them feel welcomed and comfortable. This was my second day in the hospital and we still had our son with us. I remember questioning how long we should keep him and Abby would just say as long as you want. She made us feel comfortable with whatever decision we made. For the last day and a half, we had just had our son wrapped in a hospital blanket. Abby suggested we dress him in clothes that we had bought for him. until then, I had not thought about this. I'm so glad she made this suggestion, because it was the one and only time that my husband and I got to dress our baby boy. I thank Abby for this precious and unforgettable memory. When the inevitable and heartbreaking time came to say goodbye to our son, Abby was there with us. She was so gently and compassionate as she took him away. This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and Abby's top priority was to make it as painless as possible. Thank you, Abby, for everything you did. You are my DAISY!