Lauren Collins encouraged me to reach out to other parents in my situation. She also took the time to explain things to me multiple times if I didn't understand the situation my son was in. Most of the time it didn't feel like I was talking to a nurse, but rather a friend. On multiple occasions, she had to be the bearer of bad news because I was often uninformed if something had changed with my son. Lauren sets a high standard for how nurses should talk to the parents in the NICU. I wish she was my son's nurse all the time. She had to re-explain things many times to me and she never seemed irritated in the slightest.
One night I had a very hard time leaving my baby. He was having seizures. He had fourteen episodes that day and he was facing the possibility of necrotizing enterocolitis and pneumatosis. He had his first blood transfusion, he was put on a ventilator, and he had to start receiving oxygen. Needless to say, I was not in the best shape and I hadn't slept in two days. I went to leave and I turned to thank Lauren for taking care of my son that night and was about to lose it. Tears filled my eyes, and I regretted needing to leave regardless of how tired and upset I was. Lauren looked at me and said, "I've got him." It made leaving so much easier and I knew she was taking the best care of my little one. Thank you!