Areli was my L&D nurse the day my son was born via c-section, and I couldn’t have asked for a better nurse to take care of me and be by my side. As this was my first baby, I didn’t know what to expect and was full of emotions. When I got the news that it would be best for my baby if we ended up going for a C-section, it felt like my world was coming down. As a nurse myself, all possible worst-case scenarios were running through my head, with one becoming reality. My baby was born not crying, and immediately I knew something was wrong. My son ended up not breathing on his own for 23 minutes and ended up being intubated and taken to the NICU. The entire 23 minutes Areli was by my side reassuring me.

Areli showed extreme patience with me, and her soft voice kept me calm. I remember looking into her eyes, and she told me the NICU team was working on my baby and that everything was going to be okay. I remember feeling a sense of relief as she was talking to me. A horrible situation and experience, but Areli was the light of it all. I think about what a godsend of a nurse she is every day and how thankful I am for her. I hope any moms out there who are scared or anxious during their delivery are blessed with Areli as their nurse. My husband and I will never forget her.