Diana Kalisz
July 2021
Diana M
Kalisz
,
BSN, RN, C-EFM
2/3 Center Labor and Delivery
Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital
Grand Rapids
,
MI
United States
It is honestly overwhelming to realize that Diana put herself at personal risk for injury to prevent her patient from being injured.
I had the privilege of being cared for by your incredible staff. I wanted to reach out to recognize the whole team, but particularly one individual who went above and beyond the call of duty to protect my newborn from injury. Diana was my nurse on 2Center. She came on at 3:00 p.m. and finished her shift right as I gave birth at 10:43 p.m. Diana never left my side that entire shift. She spent every moment of that 12 hours comforting and encouraging me. I am not convinced she got lunch let alone sat down anytime.
I was, by nature, a demanding assignment just in the fact that I had complications with the pregnancy; meds that needed to be given, poor vasculature, and most crucially that we decided to change our decision and do a natural childbirth (something I attempted to take back at the last possible moment). She held my hand and helped coach me through the worst pain I have ever felt. At the very end, while the anesthesiologist was setting up to attempt a very last-minute epidural, I stood up because the baby was literally crowning as I sat on the edge of the bed. I was not mentally present to know at the time, but my husband said that Diana took two huge running steps to cross the room and dove over the bed to catch my baby as she came out. She took action faster than anyone else. Her experience really showed and ultimately, she prevented my newborn from hitting the hospital floor that day. I cannot express my gratitude for this enough, there are simply no words. It is honestly overwhelming to realize that she put herself at personal risk for injury to prevent her patient from being injured.
Diana is an absolute treasure and a credit to our profession. As a nurse, I can only hope to have this sort of impact on a patient’s outcome one day. Please thank her again for me and my whole family. The baby is already back up to her birthweight. She is healthy and happy after two years trying to get pregnant, eight months of a complicated and stressful pregnancy, and 12 hours of hard labor, it meant the world to us to have a safe delivery. Diana, you are the very definition of excellence. I will never forget this as long as I live.
I was, by nature, a demanding assignment just in the fact that I had complications with the pregnancy; meds that needed to be given, poor vasculature, and most crucially that we decided to change our decision and do a natural childbirth (something I attempted to take back at the last possible moment). She held my hand and helped coach me through the worst pain I have ever felt. At the very end, while the anesthesiologist was setting up to attempt a very last-minute epidural, I stood up because the baby was literally crowning as I sat on the edge of the bed. I was not mentally present to know at the time, but my husband said that Diana took two huge running steps to cross the room and dove over the bed to catch my baby as she came out. She took action faster than anyone else. Her experience really showed and ultimately, she prevented my newborn from hitting the hospital floor that day. I cannot express my gratitude for this enough, there are simply no words. It is honestly overwhelming to realize that she put herself at personal risk for injury to prevent her patient from being injured.
Diana is an absolute treasure and a credit to our profession. As a nurse, I can only hope to have this sort of impact on a patient’s outcome one day. Please thank her again for me and my whole family. The baby is already back up to her birthweight. She is healthy and happy after two years trying to get pregnant, eight months of a complicated and stressful pregnancy, and 12 hours of hard labor, it meant the world to us to have a safe delivery. Diana, you are the very definition of excellence. I will never forget this as long as I live.