The story of how Warren Memorial Hospital saved my Life.



On May 24th, 2013, a healthy baby girl named, MaKayla Varney was born at Warren Memorial Hospital delivered by Dr. White via c-section with attending nurse, Janni Ballard. It had been a very long and stressful pregnancy but WMH doctors and nurses saved our lives.

It all began when my husband and I found out we were pregnant. This was going to be our third planned pregnancy and third child. Excited we made an OBGYN appointment with the doctor whom had delivered our other two children. I had a perfect pregnancy and at week 36 the doctor, my husband and I were signing the paperwork for my 3rd c-section. When signing the paperwork the doctor dropped the bad news that she would be performing a vertical incision this c-section do to scar tissue and that there would be no negotiation in this matter. She continued to tell my husband the risks of a horizontal c-section and the fetal and maternal death risk. She also told my husband that if my bladder were to get cut during surgery that I would be urinating from my vagina for the rest of my life. My husband and my world came crashing down. All the excitement from the birth of our third child turned into a nightmare. The doctor told my husband and me that we had the right to a second opinion. Not knowing what to do, we requested a copy of my medical records.

The very next day, I began making appointments to all of the local OBGYN offices to get a second opinion. I began delivering my medical records to all the local OBGYN offices one by one. They called me back and explained that at 36 weeks the risk of this pregnancy and delivery according to doctor's notes that they would not take me on as a patient. I began to read my medical records to find out that doctor had documented that I was morbidly obese and that I was extremely non-compliant and uneducated regardless of my profession as a Registered Nurse. I could not believe that a physician would lie and document such things in a patients chart. Extremely concerned and stressed I began to notify other OBGYNS out of state in Maryland, West Virginia and others located in Virginia.

At 37 weeks pregnant I found myself running out of time and had no physician willing to deliver my unborn child. After many countless nights without sleep and days filled with anxiety since the visit with my doctor, I was convinced that I would be delivering my 3rd baby at home after having 2 previous c-sections. I knew in my heart that I was going to lose this unborn child and possibly die myself leaving my husband with our other 2 children ages two and four. Being a nurse myself, I knew the risk of uterine rupture after two previous c-sections was high. But my delivery date was soon and from the stress and anxiety, I was having contractions off and on regularly. With nowhere to turn, I notified the patient advocate at to see what would happen if I had to deliver at home and something went wrong. She said that my doctor would be responsible for delivering my baby, but that it would be her decision to make a vertical incision, if that's what she felt was necessary.

Now being 38 weeks pregnant and stuck between having a risky home birth with complications and or possible death. Or allowing a physician to deliver my baby via vertical incision and possible complications and possible death, along with having a physician deliver my baby who had written untruthful things about you in your medical record and is now upset with you and the situation. A very excited and sweet time of my life had turned into a complete nightmare. The patient advocate suggested continuing calling surrounding physicians in hopes that one would take me on.

I decided to call the smaller local hospitals. Finally Warren Memorial Hospital labor and delivery nurse Janni Ballard finally gave us hope. After explaining the situation to Janni, she was very concerned about the situation and the safety of me and unborn baby. She immediately placed me on hold and catching a well seasoned physician by the name of Dr. White explained the situation to him. She got back with me and said that Dr. White would take me on as a patient and she set up an appointment for us to see Dr. White the very next day. Words cannot explain the anxiety release at that moment. My husband and I followed up with Dr. White who assured us that everything would be ok and that we were going to be in good hands.

I showed up for our scheduled c-section, where nurse Janni Ballard assisted in preparing me for the operating room. She explained every step and assured me that everything was going to be ok. The baby was delivered successfully without any complications by Dr. White and nurse, Janni Ballard, at WMH. Nurse Janni Ballard was on duty that whole Memorial Day weekend. My husband and I could not believe the service we received there at the hospital. Janni cared for me post- op and cared for my new baby girl in the nursery. She was professional, yet so personal. I felt she was family. She explained everything to us and kept us well informed. She made sure I was comfortable at all times. She also went above and beyond her duties as a nurse all weekend long. She was a guardian angel sent from heaven above, I'm sure of it. It was no coincidence that I spoke to her on the phone that day and Dr. White was right there and accepted me as a patient and that those two also delivered my baby. My life and unborn child's life had been rescued.

Without WMH, I'm positive things would have been dramatically different. This being my third experience with delivering a baby, despite the odds it was the best of the three. I'm sure the outcome would have been very different without Nurse Janni Ballard and Dr. White level of expertise and compassion. I highly recommend this hospital and its staff. Not only did these two employees go above and beyond, but also the front desk lady, intake, anesthesiologist and the other labor and delivery nurses were awesome. They saved my life and made the experience a once in a lifetime memory. What could have been the worst day of our lives turned out to be one of the best, do to this hospital and its great facility and great nursing staff and physicians. Thanks to the both of them and the staff at WMH.

If I could recommend that Dr. White receive recognition and Janni Ballard the DAISY Award for their ever so gracious life saving skills and patient care. Janni Ballard showed great nursing expertise and knowledge in labor and delivery, she worked together with the other nurses to be sure that my baby and I had the best care possible. She provided me with support and compassion before and after surgery and also during the recovery period. This nurse went far beyond her nursing duties and should be recognized for all that she did for my family.