I was a patient of Halie Melo’s while delivering my first child. It was personally an incredibly intense and arguably traumatic birth experience for me and my husband. Halie was an incredible and constant support during the darkest portion of the experience. Right as I was fully dilated and ready to push, my epidural fell out. This meant I went from very little pain to feeling every contraction on full blast. Halie mentally and physically supported us as we transitioned from what we had expected to be a medicated birth to an unmedicated one. Her support got me ready to push and work through its intensity. Then, when we learned the position of the baby meant we had to transition to a C-section, Halie again was unwavering in her support both mentally and physically for me. I walked away with a healthy baby boy, but the birth experience was intense and has been hard to process. The constant image I had in my head throughout it all was Halie and her presence the entire time. Looking back, my husband and I cannot thank her enough for the care and empathy she gave us in these intense moments. For us, she is a part of my son’s birth story and will always stand out for what she provided us in that overwhelming and life-changing moment.