Recently, my husband and I welcomed our daughter, A, into the world. Little did we know just how much our lives were about to change.
Elizabeth came on duty that evening, and I saw her when I arrived in the nursery to see A. The baby had some trouble breathing, but my doctor assured me A was doing wonderfully, that she only needed a little bit of oxygen. I was allowed to hold her and nurse her right away. The following morning, A's pediatrician observed characteristics of Down Syndrome. I called my husband to let him know, and that he should come to the hospital. When Elizabeth came in, I was relieved to see a familiar face. She asked how I was doing, and I broke down again. At that moment she wrapped her arms around me, hugged me, and just let me cry on her shoulder. She let me know that it was perfectly okay for me to be upset that A may not be the perfect baby I had expected, but that she was perfect, nonetheless. She reassured me that everything would be fine, but she also validated how I was feeling.
After his arrival, my husband broke down outside the nursery. Elizabeth walked up and placed her hand on his shoulder, asking if there was anything she could do for him. I knew he needed time to himself, so I stayed back and talked with Elizabeth. While awaiting results of A's echo, Elizabeth said we should not panic. Because of concerns about A's heart, they were transporting her to the NICU at St. Mary's in Madison, WI. Elizabeth and another nurse, Connie, were with us the entire time. After the doctor left, Connie asked if we would like to pray. The four of us held hands, and Connie filled the room with the most amazing prayer. When the time came for A to leave with the transport crew, Elizabeth and Connie hugged us and let us know they would be thinking of and praying for A and us. Over the next few days, we received confirmation of A's Down Syndrome diagnosis and the news that she would need open heart surgery around the age of 4 to 6 months.
At A's first post-discharge appointment, her pediatrician let me know that Elizabeth had asked him how A was doing. I ran into Elizabeth at a festival on Father's Day. She gave me a big hug and asked how things had been going. She told me to let her know if there was anything she could do for us.
A is now eight weeks old. I have repeatedly told people how absolutely wonderful Elizabeth and Connie were during one of the worst times for us. The care, compassion, and love they showed us, three people, they hardly knew, during that time was amazing. I am a firm believer that God places certain people in our lives when we most need them, and I believe he placed Elizabeth and Connie in our lives knowing the road ahead. There are not enough words I can say to thank her for everything.