Renee Montamat
September 2023
Renee
Montamat
,
BSN, RN
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
Aurora
,
CO
United States
Renee was kind, respectful, and encouraging, and made an immensely heartbreaking moment for our family a bit more bearable.
My family would like to nominate Renee Montamat for The DAISY Award. At 21 weeks gestation, we received news that our sweet baby boy had a fatal diagnosis of Trisomy 18 and the best next step for our family was induction and delivery. After intensive research and prayerful consideration, we met with the Maternal Fetal Medicine team at the University of Colorado Health Center at Anschutz and scheduled with the Labor and Delivery team for induction at 23 weeks’ gestation.
Our Angel, S, was born swiftly and Renee was kind, respectful, and encouraging, and made an immensely heartbreaking moment for our family a bit more bearable. Although every professional we encountered with the UC Health team, providers, administrators, and support staff, was incredibly supportive and compassionate, Renee provided something I didn’t even know I needed. The first moment we met Renee, she smiled and said, “Let’s have a baby today." I immediately felt peace. To that point, I had a hard time calling “baby” by his name. Renee asked what his name was and wrote it so proudly on the whiteboard in our room. She never called him “baby”, it was always by name and naturally I started to say S as well.
Once my water broke, my husband and Renee were my constant in a very busy room. I had previously expressed my strong desire to capture the birthing process with photographs and when our birth photographer couldn’t get to the hospital in time, Renee stepped in to ensure the moment will be remembered forever. With my first son’s delivery, my epidural was so strong that I couldn’t feel anything and I was intent on not making the same mistake again—I wanted to be an active participant in the delivery of our Angel S.
Through the labor process, Renee was supportive of my desires and at the same time encouraged me to give myself permission to ask for help. I didn’t have to prove anything to anybody and my love for S wasn’t measured by the pain endured. Once S was born, Renee confirmed he had passed and gently handed his precious, almost one-pound body to us. In that moment my husband and I were part of a club we never imagined joining and would never hope for any other parents to join. Renee supported our grief. There are no words to make it easier and Renee knew that—she was just there and that’s exactly what we needed.
We were able to spend several hours with our S and entrusted Renee to take him for a short time for memorial pictures—she was almost as excited to dress S up as we were! More than anything, we appreciate the respect that Renee had for our son’s precious body. She was so gentle, so caring, and so genuine. She even had a bit of a mama bear mentality for our family when a misinformed volunteer asked a quite direct and inappropriate question following the birth. Again, we hope no family has to endure a similar journey, but we know it is inevitable and we are confident that every family needs a Renee in their corner! Renee is the epitome of an extraordinary nurse, but even more of an extraordinary person.
Our Angel, S, was born swiftly and Renee was kind, respectful, and encouraging, and made an immensely heartbreaking moment for our family a bit more bearable. Although every professional we encountered with the UC Health team, providers, administrators, and support staff, was incredibly supportive and compassionate, Renee provided something I didn’t even know I needed. The first moment we met Renee, she smiled and said, “Let’s have a baby today." I immediately felt peace. To that point, I had a hard time calling “baby” by his name. Renee asked what his name was and wrote it so proudly on the whiteboard in our room. She never called him “baby”, it was always by name and naturally I started to say S as well.
Once my water broke, my husband and Renee were my constant in a very busy room. I had previously expressed my strong desire to capture the birthing process with photographs and when our birth photographer couldn’t get to the hospital in time, Renee stepped in to ensure the moment will be remembered forever. With my first son’s delivery, my epidural was so strong that I couldn’t feel anything and I was intent on not making the same mistake again—I wanted to be an active participant in the delivery of our Angel S.
Through the labor process, Renee was supportive of my desires and at the same time encouraged me to give myself permission to ask for help. I didn’t have to prove anything to anybody and my love for S wasn’t measured by the pain endured. Once S was born, Renee confirmed he had passed and gently handed his precious, almost one-pound body to us. In that moment my husband and I were part of a club we never imagined joining and would never hope for any other parents to join. Renee supported our grief. There are no words to make it easier and Renee knew that—she was just there and that’s exactly what we needed.
We were able to spend several hours with our S and entrusted Renee to take him for a short time for memorial pictures—she was almost as excited to dress S up as we were! More than anything, we appreciate the respect that Renee had for our son’s precious body. She was so gentle, so caring, and so genuine. She even had a bit of a mama bear mentality for our family when a misinformed volunteer asked a quite direct and inappropriate question following the birth. Again, we hope no family has to endure a similar journey, but we know it is inevitable and we are confident that every family needs a Renee in their corner! Renee is the epitome of an extraordinary nurse, but even more of an extraordinary person.