My husband and I were so excited to bring our baby girl into this world. We were scheduled to be induced on a Saturday.  On Friday morning, the night before, she did not wake me up with her sweet morning kicks like she always did. I went in for monitoring, hoping for reassurance that everything was okay. Instead, I received the worst news a mother could ever hear. Her heart was no longer beating.

With no explanation for why this nightmare had occurred, we were absolutely devastated. Our minds raced, trying to understand how a perfect pregnancy could end in such tragedy. To be so close to experiencing one of the greatest miracles life can give, only to have it taken away, is the darkest grief imaginable. We are living it second by second.

Grief has taken us through every hill and valley of sadness, anger, resentment, and even hatred. But our daughter has already taught us that none of those emotions helps you make it through such a dark tunnel. My husband and I will get through this through the strength we find in each other, our family, our friends, and our faith in God.

As we reflect on this experience, we know without question that two nurses deserve special recognition.

Once we were settled into our room, two nurses walked in, one of whom was Lena. I had met Lena previously during a triage admission a couple of weeks prior. During that short four to six-hour stay, we left talking about how cheerful she was and the incredible energy she brought into the room. I remember hoping she would be the one to deliver our baby when the time came.

When I realized it was her, I said her name, and she immediately remembered me. She hugged me so tightly. Although she was not originally scheduled to be my nurse that day, she switched assignments so she could care for me. From that moment on, she was exactly what we needed.

She wept with me. She made me laugh when I did not think that was possible. She was clinically knowledgeable and steady in a situation where, as a first-time mom, I had no idea what to expect. She walked me through every step of the process, explained what they were monitoring, what to expect during delivery, and how postpartum care would look. She kept my family informed as things progressed.

Above all, Lena showed how deeply she cared through her actions. She prepared our daughter's memory box, customized with bracelets. She made sure the photographer arrived at the perfect time. She helped us give our daughter her first and last bath. She did so many meaningful things that I know I am forgetting some of them now.

She checked on us throughout the night alongside our night nurse. Even though Lena was scheduled to be called off the following day, she still came in the next day to help me deliver my baby.

Our nurse, Lena Phan, and our night nurse are truly angels walking this earth. They guided us through the most painful experience of our lives with as little suffering as possible. They treated my daughter with dignity, and they treated us with love.

On a personal note, I work at Nebraska Medicine as an oncology pharmacist in Werner, and I know what exceptional nursing care looks like. I also know that this hospital would not be ranked as highly as it is without nurses like this.  We should take more pride in our nurses than we do, and there should not be a hospital in this area that pays its nurses more than Nebraska Medicine. Losing nurses like this would be detrimental to this hospital’s success. I truly believe that.