I'd like to recognize Danielle after having an extraordinary experience with her during the birth of our first child. I went into labor in the late-night hours, was admitted to Women's and Babies Hospital, and was assigned Danielle as my Labor and Delivery Nurse at 7:00 the next morning.
From the moment Danielle came into our room, she made every effort to give me and my husband an incredible experience. Medically, I required hourly repositioning, but my husband and I had been awake all night and were exhausted. Danielle was kind, calm, and quiet each time she entered the room, knowing that we would need to be well-rested for delivery. Her intuitive demeanor seemed like such a small gesture but was something that made a huge difference in our day. She was consistently attentive with addressing any pain and providing me all the cherry flavored Italian ice I could eat! She spoke to us casually about things unrelated to our admission, which kept the atmosphere light and humorous. She was genuinely invested in us as people, not just as her patients.
As my labor progressed, things did not go according to plan. Danielle was working just as hard as we were, relying on her vast knowledge and seemingly endless patience to assist us in every way possible. She remained calm and encouraging throughout a long, enduring process, and was completely resolute in making every effort to follow our desired birth plan. At one point, we thought we'd exhausted our options and were going to be forced into having a C-section - a thought that completely defeated me. Rather than giving up, Danielle sought assistance from an additional staff member; a midwife. Danielle brought her into our Labor and Delivery room and they worked seamlessly together doing everything possible to avoid a C-section. I felt tremendous pride in delivering our daughter without surgical intervention, and I would never have been able to do it without Danielle's avocation. For the entire length of her 12-hour shift, she stuck with us and never gave up.
Because of Danielle's skill, compassion, and dedication, we have an incredible story of our daughter's birthday. There are no words or awards that could thank her, or the staff at Women's and Babies Hospital, for the care that was provided to our family during our stay. Danielle was exactly the nurse we needed, exactly when we needed her, and we are indescribably thankful for all of her efforts during our admission.