February 2023
Natalya
Embry
,
RN
Operating Room
St. Joseph's/ Candler
Savannah
,
GA
United States
She made sure that not only was our son ok, but also that we were doing good.
Almost a year ago, we were visiting Savannah from Michigan. My husband, son, and I were planning to spend a few days touring, enjoying the history of this beautiful old town. But our plans were shattered when our son fell ill. He developed the most horrible headache and was really confused. After two days of trying to relieve his pain, he was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, unable to speak and very confused. Emergency room doctors call in a Neurosurgeon on call. And this is how our story begins. That same day, we met a wonderful doctor who told us that, based on MRI images, our son had a tumor on his brain that created pressure, causing his symptoms. He suggested to perform an emergency surgery to remove it. Within an hour, our son was taken to the operating room holding area, that is how we met wonderful Natalya Embry. She was very calm, understanding, and knowledgeable. She clicked with our son almost immediately. He called her his princess. Within an hour, she took him for surgery. It was the most difficult and nerve-racking experience in our life, not knowing what to expect. Natalya made sure to keep us informed throughout the surgery. She even called us to let us know that the tumor was successfully removed. She made sure that not only was our son ok, but also that we were doing good. The next few days were the most difficult for our family. After surgery, our son was transferred to NICU. He was doing better, but still confused. Finally, on the third day he opened his eyes and told us that he was to see his princess. We couldn't understand what he meant at first, but he kept telling us that he wanted to see his nurse. We realized that he must be talking about Natalya. We were able to contact her and asked her if she would come visit our son. Little did we know, Natalya had been visiting him after work. They developed a very strong bond and she kept motivating him every day. Our son was diagnosed with Stage IV terminal brain cancer. The only thing we could do for him is keep him comfortable. He spent a few more weeks at a hospital with his favorite nurse by his side. We went back home to Michigan. A month later, our son lost his battle with cancer. Looking back at our trip to Savannah, dealing with a horrible diagnosis, and going through treatment, we wouldn't have been able to do it without the help and support of Natalya, who went above and beyond to make sure that we were ok. We are very grateful to all the staff at St. Joseph's Hospital and especially Natalya.