Ashley Kempf welcomed my husband and me into L&D after I experienced my second bleed in my pregnancy. Due to being diagnosed with placenta previa and placenta increta, I was told I would be admitted as a patient until my planned cesarean section and partial hysterectomy at 34 weeks. At the time I was 27 weeks, 5 days along. I was scared, knowing I had to spend the next six weeks living in a hospital two hours away from my home. Ashley was quick to brighten my mood and helped me calm down. She also brought me a robe and toothbrush, since I arrived with just the clothes on my back. She took time to hold my hand as they put in several lines and even had one moved when I said it was hurting me.
I was eventually moved out of Ashley's wing and into the antepartum area to spend my next weeks. Ashley made sure I was comfortable and settled before handing me over to my new care team.
It was just two days later I started to hemorrhage while going to the bathroom in my hospital room. I immediately pulled the emergency cord, and my room was flooded with nurses who quickly loaded me on a stretcher and took me back to Ashley's wing. I was hysterical, as I was actively hemorrhaging, and Ashley immediately grabbed my hand and began to calm me down. She made sure my husband was with me and right away put the monitor on me to make sure our son was okay. The doctor assessed me, and it was determined I needed the surgery right away. I was only 28 weeks along and so scared. Ashley helped me get undressed and into a gown and kept calming me down as she did so. The team moved so quickly and were running down the hall with me in the stretcher. I recall several times that Ashley reached for my hand as the care team was yelling out where they were going. It was the most scared I've ever been in my life. Ashley told me I was in good hands, I was brave, and that our baby was safe. Seconds later I was in a cold OR and being put to sleep for the emergency surgery. I know that Ashley's calm demeanor and compassionate words saved me from having a full-blown panic attack.
My husband wasn't allowed in the OR during my surgery, but Ashley (as well as some other doctors) made sure he was kept up to date.
Our son was born at just 2 pounds and 15 ounces and was transferred to the NICU. I was taken to the ICU in critical, but stable condition on a ventilator.
As you can imagine, my husband was equally terrified. I had lost three liters of blood and was given 10 units back, plus additional blood products. He eventually went back to my room to try and sleep, and Ashley continued to check in on him and make sure he was okay.
I was released from the ICU the next afternoon and returned again to L&D. It was Ashley who was waiting to welcome me back. I burst into tears, seeing her again. She was the one consistent person throughout this entire experience. She took extra time to get me back into my bed when I was in so much pain and couldn't move unassisted. It was as if we had come full circle, from that first encounter just 48 hours prior. My family will be forever grateful for her compassion during such a scary time in our lives. Nurses truly are heroes, and Ashley is right there with the best of them.