In November a patient on the New Beginnings unit, who had undergone a cesarean section the day before, received word from the NICU at CMC that her baby was in critical condition. Angela immediately intervened by contacting the doctor for orders to discharge the patient a day early to enable her to go be with her critically ill newborn. The patient’s husband expressed the concern that he would have to drive her there and return home to care for their other six children and that he would not be able
to return due to lack of money for gas. In fact, he didn’t have enough money for gas to make it to Charlotte.

Angela called the NICU and spoke with the charge nurse. She reassured Angela that they would give her a room in the hospital to rest in whenever she was not with her baby (since she was only one day post op) but the patient would be responsible for her own meals. Realizing that this family had very little resources, Angela knew the patient would not have money to purchase food, let alone gas money. She came to her co workers for help. We took up a collection of money for gas and prepared a box of food from our backpacks cabinets with enough food to help her through a couple days while staying with her baby at CMC. Angela presented the money and box of food to the patient and her husband just prior to her discharge. Both were very grateful for her intervention. Angela demonstrated a tremendous amount of compassion with this family and is very deserving of the DAISY Award.