Our identical twin boys were born via c-section at 30 weeks with TAPS and twin B being an IUGR baby. We were admitted to the hospital with the hopes of squeaking out three more weeks in the pregnancy. We were lucky to make one week up in labor and delivery. Though we knew a c-section was imminent to be told, "You'll deliver the day after tomorrow," brought with it excitement, nervousness, and a myriad of other emotions. On the day of delivery two other sets of twins were born via c-section and these, combined with other emergency procedures, pushed back my surgery time. In pain from the magnesium drip, exhausted both physically and emotionally, and now worried about the delivery as more and more time passed my husband and I were less than composed. The delivery went relatively smoothly, with the boys being stabilized quickly then whisked down to the NICU. Unbeknownst to me, a nurse named Rina Garces had been assigned to them for their first moments of life in the delivery room and would truly become their guardian angel, and ours, as we traveled along our journey in the NICU.
I don't remember much immediately following the C-section. I saw my boys held up when they were first born and then seconds later they were gone. Somewhere around an hour and a half later, I was wheeled down to the NICU to see my babies. Our boys were split up in the acute area of the NICU, one in a corner room and the other in a room just off of the nurse's station. I don't know that you've ever seen a recovery bed try to fit into one of the corner rooms but it is no easy feat. There was a lot of hustle and bustle and many blurred, masked faces of all the nurses working on our boys. I remember not wanting to impose or interfere with all that needed to be done for them but also so desperately wanting to see and meet my boys. Rina was, and is, the only face I remember from that evening. She was so gentle and composed and insisted that getting me close enough to their isolette was not going to impede their care or inconvenience anyone. It was important our boys knew we were there, she told us, and I think she saw how equally important it was for us.
Fast forward three months later and Rina had become a part of our family. She never once balked at all the questions we had and always encouraged us to ask more. Procedures were never just performed, everything came with an explanation and an understanding. My husband and I were swimming with all the details in the beginning but Rina would always reiterate what each button meant, what each alarm signified, or patiently discuss each teaching point she had for us. She did this in such a simple conversational way that it wasn't until we looked back on our time there that we saw how she had been teaching us without overwhelming us. She instructed and empowered us as parents to begin cares as soon as we were comfortable, and while I'm sure we were initially less than stellar, she never made us feel inadequate about what we didn't yet know or hadn't yet mastered. Procedures in the NICU can be daunting from a parent perspective, particularly when you're told its best for you not to be there. Both our sons required PICC lines and it was a scary thing for us to hear what would have to happen. Rina reassured us in many different ways and set our minds at ease as we walked out the doors and left our boys in the hands of all the nurses and doctors. Through all the PICC lines, blood transfusions and IVs, their guardian angel always managed to be there in one capacity or another - either performing the procedure, assisting, or checking in on our sons and giving us peace of mind.
Rina consistently focused on helping our boys meet their goals by pushing them to become better bottle feeders. Where we, or other nurses, wavered in their ability to add an ounce, Rina saw they were ready to be pushed forward and was known for getting both boys to take a bottle when no one else could. Our one son was a particularly fussy eater. She always seemed to know when he needed to be pushed or when it was time to let him rest and always made sure to go out of her way to be present for bottle feeds to ensure he was becoming a better eater.
To say that Rina has significantly made a difference in our lives would be an understatement. To this day we stay in touch and she is fondly referred to as the boys' auntie. Whenever we talk about our time in the NICU, Rina is a big part of the conversation. As an active member of many parent NICU groups on social media, I always draw from experiences with Rina - advocating for primary nurses, the level of care, the heart, and the professionalism that a nurse should exemplify. There was a particularly rough patch where our one twins was home and our other twin was still in the NICU and struggling. We were always told that being present for your baby, letting them know you're there, helps them heal and become stronger. So as a mother, to physically have your children separated and unable to be present for both who need you both so desperately is heart-wrenching. As I sat at home trying to be present for one son, my heart torn in half, I turned on the Angel Eye camera to check on my other son. I will never forget seeing the camera turned so that I could see Rina there, holding my son to calm him and give him the love and presence I couldn't at that moment. That had a profound impact on my heart and as a mother who has wept for, fought for, and felt torn for leaving her children, it was a kindness I will never be able to repay, nor forget.
Rina was always personally invested in the boys' well-being and development. Even if she was assigned elsewhere she made it a point to check in and see how they were doing. Rina is one of the hardest working nurses on your NICU floor. She was always willing to be on call and pick up a shift when the unit was short staffed. There was a period where one of our sons was coming off a particularly challenging few days where he happened to have non-primary nurses assigned to him. We walked in to find Rina on shift and the sigh of relief between my husband and I was palpable. She got him back to where he needed to be and through the last stretch to get him home to us.
If it hasn't been properly conveyed yet, allow me to plainly state that Rina goes above and beyond in every capacity. She never once hesitated to be an advocate for us with the doctors and ensured we always had our questions answered whether by the attending or a specialist. During a particularly scary period where one of our sons experienced a cluster of brady/desats Rina remained calm, yet recognized that this was not the typical events we were used to. She reached out to the doctors and following exams and x-rays my son was immediately put back on oxygen. Without her quick actions and calm demeanor, we surely would've had a very different outcome.
Rina wears many hats on the NICU floor and does so effortlessly. Toward the end of the boys stay and much to our surprise, Rina informed us that she had just recently transferred to the day shift which meant not only a new/drastic sleep schedule but the addition of doctors rounds, specialist visits, volunteers, and visitors. To us, it seemed as if she'd been a day nurse her entire life. She seamlessly integrated herself into the routines of the day shift and had already developed strong working relationships with her colleagues in such a short amount of time.
Throughout our stay in the NICU, Rina shared her own life stories with us, including those of her own twins. Having a professional, let alone a fellow twin mom, who could relate and offer hope, set our hearts and minds at ease during some of the most trying times. Rina never faltered in her belief of how strong our children were and continued to encourage and comfort us while reminding us of all the progress they'd made and how strong they were. She always exhibited a genuine sense of caring and listened with not only her ears but her heart, too. Undoubtedly, our boys' stay would have been much longer without her care and we are forever grateful for her watchful eye, caring heart, and unwavering dedication to her patients.