Caroline Baubonis was not only an exceptional night nurse, but also an incredibly kind human being. Caroline treated our newborn daughter, who was in very critical condition, for several weeks. She had a massive heart tumor, was on ECMO and dialysis, her lungs weren't in a great spot, she was battling a deadly, antibiotic-resistant infection, and her liver was failing. She also had necrosis on her arms and legs which was very painful.
Throughout all of this, Caroline was always positive, advocated for our daughter, and went the extra mile to make sure that she was comfortable, and that we were okay. She noticed everything, from a tube digging into our daughter's skin, to bubbles of spit-up gathering on our baby's lips, to the condition of her skin. She called the skin care team and the plastics team to consult and put lotion and bandages on her to make sure she was comfortable. Caroline even created a makeshift shade for her eyes to protect her from the glaring ICU lights. This gave her a lot of relief and made it so she could both sleep more easily and open her eyes more easily. That was monumental, not just for her comfort, but also because it meant we could see our daughter's eyes and she could see ours.
Caroline always asked us how she could help advocate for our daughter, answered numerous questions, and was the first person we felt comfortable enough around to actually sleep at night, knowing she was taking care of her. Caroline would talk to our daughter, even though she was just a few weeks old. She would use nicknames, like sweet pea and little nugget to show her love, would narrate what she was doing, tell her how cute and strong she was being, and always encouraged her to keep fighting too.
Unfortunately, it became clear that our daughter was going to pass away soon. On our last night with our daughter, Caroline was the night nurse. She promised to wake us up if our daughter woke up and did so in the middle of the night. That gave us more time with our daughter, allowed mom to provide oral care for her, and enabled us both to caress her, talk to her, and tell her how much we love her. Every minute with your child is precious, but even more so when you know time is limited.
That same night, Caroline also took the time to make imprints of her feet so we could have them as memories. Caroline went above and beyond and even made a Father's Day card for J with her footprints that she put in a sealed envelope for J to open on Father's Day. Opening that letter after she passed away was incredibly heartbreaking, but also beautiful and comforting, in a way. Caroline truly cared about our daughter, as well as our well-being. She was the most compassionate nurse we interacted with, over two hospital visits spanning five weeks.
Having Caroline as our nurse gave us peace of mind and let us actually focus on spending time with our daughter, not on the medical care.
Thank you Caroline, for making the most devastating time in our lives a bit brighter.