There isn't just one story or one incident that involves Dianne that comes to mind. There are so many situations, and not little things. At least they never seemed little to our family. Dianne embodies compassionate care in her every interaction. Over two years ago we met Dianne when we had our baby girl in the NICU, since then we have considered her to be one of those angels on earth, and we feel we owe so very much to her. She helped us to learn to be parents and to become the family that we are today.
Fast-forward and I was admitted to the hospital for pregnancy complications at 29 weeks. Someone knocked on my door, and before they could get past the hand sanitizer, I recognized those shoes. It was Dianne stopping to say everything was going to be ok and that she was praying for us. What a calming thought amid a frightening storm, and a kind gesture that was above and beyond. Thankfully it was seven weeks later before we needed to deliver baby L. We were so fortunate to know we would be in the caring, loving hands of the talented nurses once we landed in the NICU.
Within a day or two, Dianne came back on shift and one of her first tasks was making sure that L's bed space was warm enough for our precious girl. Dianne noted that there was a cold breeze and that it was not conducive to our little L being able to hold her body temperature, or to our family bonding-cuddle time. She worked diligently during her shift to make sure she could get the HVAC folks to the floor to address the issue. She then followed-up with the issue by adding additional heat to the space, as well as making sure to pass the information on as she gave report at the end of her shift. She didn't just think, "It feels breezy," she noted that it was chilly and worked hard to fix it.
When I told Dianne that L's dad had to return home for a few days to take care of things on the farm, she was the first to offer the NIC View camera. I hadn't even thought to ask about a camera so that L's dad and big sister could watch her from home, but Dianne did. Dianne thought of ways to help our family bond and stay together even miles apart. I'm pretty sure Dianne stayed late after her shift that night to make sure the camera was working, but when doesn't she stay late to make sure that all patients are receiving the best possible care! I heard from those we shared the new NIC View password with that they began checking in on L immediately. She was bonding not only with our family, but her cousins, because of Dianne's thoughtfulness.
Dianne was in-tune to our family; she knew how hard we could push L, and when it was time to do so. Once we started working to "push" L to eat, Dianne was ever-present, checking in to make sure we were comfortable with the progress or lack thereof. Without Dianne there to help our family over the "feeding hump" we would have been there for longer than we were. Thanks to her experience and patience, we were able to make exciting progress in just a few short days.
Dianne called us at home to follow-up after we had left the NICU. She didn't just make one phone call, but multiple calls. She missed us on her first attempt, but she didn't just leave a message; she followed-up the next day. When she reached L's dad instead of mom, she made an additional call to make sure to visit with me too; that touched me deeply. She had remembered what day L had her follow-up appointment with her physician and when I shared L's weight gain since being home; Dianne had remembered her weight from days before and celebrated her growth with us. Dianne had also found a little mask that was lost in L's bed, saved it for us, and offered to mail it to us so that we could save it with our mementos of L's stay. What a special and impactful gesture.
We have so many instances and stories like these that we could share for days. We always felt that, even with multiple patients to juggle, Dianne never rushed when providing care to L or our family. She is always cautious and always seemed to have the time to spare for anything we needed. We truly credit Dianne with helping to make our family whole. We talk about her often and talk to our girls about how Dianne took care of them when they lived in the hospital.
Dianne isn't the only exceptional nurse on the 4th floor, but she personally has touched our lives and changed them for the better. I know we aren't the only family who has received her loving, compassionate gifts, but when we were in her care, we felt like the only family that mattered.