My husband and I were visiting Houston Texas from New Orleans, LA and I was 22 weeks pregnant. I had been through 4 years of infertility and have had multiple pregnancy losses so this pregnancy felt like a very special blessing. I have 10+ years of experience as an RN in ED and ICU, so it takes a lot of time for me to decide whether I need to go to the ER. One evening, I had a sudden onset of lower abdominal pain, tightening, and cramping. I tried to walk it off but eventually became convinced that the only answer was that I was miscarrying. I finally decided we needed to go to the ER. We went to the HCA hospital near our hotel and the triage nurse told me they didn't have OB/L&D and I should go to the Women's Hospital. By then the pain was increasing, wrapping around my back, and the panic of not being in familiar surroundings at home where I know the health care systems was beginning to set in. So we got in the car and headed towards Memorial Hermann.

We drove around the complex twice before finding a parking garage and when we entered the facility we found we were not in a hospital but in a building of doctor's offices. There was no signage saying where the ED/hospital was and now I was really panicking that we were in the wrong place altogether. We started walking down a corridor and a woman came around the corner from the other end in a white coat. My husband said, "I'm gonna ask this woman if she can help us." This woman became our angel. She stopped to talk to us, and we explained we were from out of town and were concerned I was miscarrying. She told us to follow her and then proceeded to lead us towards the ER while simultaneously making multiple phone calls to the ER and the OB ER. When we finally started seeing signs directing us to the ER, I said, "I think we can find our way from here," and she responded she was not leaving me yet. I said I could tell we stopped her on her way to leave work and go home and that I didn't want to keep her at work any longer. We told her that I was also a nurse, too, and I understood how it feels when you just want to go home after a long day. She told me she was okay with staying late to make sure we found our way. She gave me this very kind smile and said, "You understand because you're a nurse too. This is what we do".

Upon reaching the ED metal detectors, I said ok, and thanked her profusely, thinking she was going to leave us now. But she followed us through security and waited while I checked in. Once checked in, I walked around the corner and saw a packed waiting room. My heart sank. From working in a downtown urban setting ED myself, I knew we were in for a long wait, like hours. And still, Marie sat with us in the waiting room! Surprisingly, it wasn't long before my name was called for triage. This was when Marie said "OK, now I am going to leave you". We hugged and said goodbye after many thanks. The triage nurse was already expecting us and asked how we knew Marie, and we told her we had just run into her. She responded, "She's the real deal. She's very well-known and respected down here". From triage, I was wheeled immediately to the OB ER, where they already knew I was coming as well.

The baby was, and is still, ok. It wasn't until after I had been admitted and was in my hospital room with my pain under control that I really realized how much of an angel she had been for us. Somebody was looking after us to send her down that corridor in that moment. I like to believe that it's karma for the many years of nursing service that I have provided to others, coming back to me and helping me through a difficult time when I needed it. Regardless, I would like her to know how meaningful it was to us that she took that time out of her day to not only get us to the right place but to make sure we got the care we needed. She showed me warmth and compassion at a time when I felt so distraught, panicked, and so vulnerable. I will never forget Marie, and I will carry that memory with me as motivation to continue providing compassionate care to my own patients.