Like any first-time expecting mother, my husband and I were extremely nervous going into delivery. We had to be induced earlier than planned, which naturally brings about additional levels of anxiety. We had been at the hospital for going on 36 hours. All the nursing staff we encountered were kind; however, Emily absolutely stood out and ended up making an appreciable difference in our delivery process. From the moment she came in at the start of the night shift at 7 pm, she was friendly and outgoing. That positive attitude carried all the way until we finally delivered at 3 AM. No matter what our needs were or how many questions my husband asked about the process, she always took the time to answer honestly and authentically. She truly seemed to value us as patients, and didn’t seem bothered by our request for water or another pillow, or to answer another one of my husband’s many questions. She made us feel like we were her only concern that night, even though we knew she had other patients to attend to.

When the time to start actively pushing came around 1 AM, Emily remained steadfast by my side, engaging in thoughtful conversation that really made the difference to distract me and keep my mind off the process. The time went by quickly; however, when delivery came, my child came out, not breathing, and I had a substantial amount of bleeding. It was traumatic for both me and my husband to watch our baby get taken away so quickly so the nurses could try to get her to start breathing, simultaneously our doctor began pushing orders to the nurse staff, as I had uncontrollable bleeding. Emily immediately switches roles from kind bedside caregiver to the quiet and focused professional, doing as she was instructed to help get the bleeding under control. Luckily, both our baby and I would be OK; however, this memory is one my husband and I will not soon forget.

We are thankful to have had such wonderful doctors and nurses throughout our stay, but Emily stands out and deserves special recognition for being by our side through one of the most difficult journeys of my life. I hope Emily knows what a difference she made to us that night and how much we value both her bedside manner and professionalism in her field. My husband and I still talk highly of her when recalling the story of the birth of our first child