I want to recognize a very special nurse in L&D. Over the last three days, I have witnessed something that I can honestly say is unmatched. Personally, being in a family of chaplains, we have always dealt with death and dying and have had grateful opportunities to be a part of the grief and healing process in times of great sorrow. Jailene Arias has been remarkable.

We had a family come in several days ago from a Cat 1 Trauma MVC. Mom lost her baby due to a uterine rupture. This baby was 25 weeks gestation and absolutely perfect. Mom was admitted as a Trauma patient on the 5th floor. Jailene has shown amazing compassion and love to this whole family. Jailene set up a beautiful room in the antepartum unit for family members to come and visit with the baby when they wished. This meant going to the Lab and getting the baby and lovingly swaddling him and placing him in our bassinet, even if it were for a few minutes for the family to see. Then returning him back to the lab. She did this on several occasions. Even switching rooms due to the full capacity of our department. In the midst of this, she took care of all of her other patients.

Today, Jailene took her lunch break to gather everything up because Grandma wanted to see him. A few hours later, mom was ready for us to bring him to her and see him for the first time. Jailene set the bassinet up beautifully, changed his swaddling, and even requested a bereavement cart to be brought up to mom's room. I had the absolute privilege to help her take the bassinet up there and watch her interact and love on this family as they held their baby for the first time. As she was speaking to mom and dad so lovingly and encouragingly, mom and dad went from unspeakable grief, to holding their baby and lovingly, with smiles, looking at his fingers and toes. Jailene encouraged them to spend these precious moments with their baby. This is something that she did not have to do.

The sheer busyness of the L&D department that day would deem it to be reasonable for her to do what she was able to and be ok with that. But the care that she took, even when it was just me in the room, the care that she took in holding and swaddling this sweet little one was something that I will never forget. I believe that I was fortunate enough to witness firsthand what this ministry is about through a young Labor and Delivery nurse. She will forever be remembered by this family and I am grateful to know her.