Devon Ryon, BSN, RN

My wife had Devon Ryon as her nurse during a large portion of her labor, up to and including her delivery. This was our first child, and my wife had incredibly intense contractions that she was struggling through during the middle and later stages of labor. Devon made my wife and me comfortable during this time and encouraged us when it got difficult. She was very good with her words of encouragement and overall with how she communicated with my wife. Devon also checked on us often and made sure my wife had everything she needed.

I also heard someone mention that day that there were other births going on at the same time, and it sounded like everyone on the floor was really busy that day, so I’m sure Devon had other things to handle other than us. But she always made it feel like we were her priority.

Then came the delivery, which was like nothing my wife and I have ever experienced. My wife was doing a great job pushing. The midwives were at the bottom of the bed, and Devon juggled being there for my wife, helping the midwives, and charting or logging everything on the computer. We had a shoulder dystocia, and our son was stuck without oxygen. In a flash, the room filled with nurses, NICU personnel, OBs, and probably others that I never knew were there.

Everyone jumped into action, communicated expertly, and saved our baby’s life. I was stunned and felt like I couldn’t move. My wife was in a ridiculous amount of pain and screaming. I went from watching my son’s head appear, excited for him, proud of my amazing wife, to fearing the worst in an instant. Devon, in this
hurricane of people, blood, screaming, and chaos, recognized this and firmly told me to sit down. But the way she said it made me feel seen and understood; it grounded me. It probably also prevented me from passing out. Whether she did this just to prevent me from passing out, or if she recognized my fear and shock, or both, it made all the difference. She took the time to understand everyone’s needs in that moment, and acted.

After our son was taken to the NICU, the swarm of nurses and NICU staff and everyone else left as quickly as they came. Devon took time to check in with both of us to make sure we were okay. She understood how traumatic everything was and seemed genuinely interested in our well-being as new parents. I appreciated everything she did.

If Devon reads this, I want her to know our son is doing much better. They put him on a cooling blanket, where he’ll be for three days before being warmed back up and taken for more scans and tests. He has all reflexes back but his gag reflex, but doctors here say they’re optimistic with how well he’s recovering so far and his road moving forward. Devon was a huge part of our son’s success despite all the difficulty along the way. So thank you so much, Devon, for making all the difference to our new family and us.