After giving birth to my baby girl, I was rushed to the OR. I woke up overnight in ICU while intubated and restrained. I could not communicate and was frustrated. I was drooling all over the place and needed oral suction but had no way to communicate. This nurse came on for the day shift at 7 am. She was attentive and was able to see my needs, and understood what I had been trying to communicate. I was scared, crying, and frustrated. I just wanted the tube out and to see my baby. After I was extubated, she offered to use her phone to FaceTime and call my husband since he was in the mom baby unit with our newborn. I was overwhelmed by her kindness, consideration, and attention to my emotional needs. My husband came right away, and this nurse stayed with us throughout everything. She explained the next steps and quickly got me out of ICU and to mom baby to finally hold my sweet baby girl. She went above and beyond what I would expect an average nurse to do.

While she performed all of the typical duties of a nurse, she met me emotionally by contacting my husband. She understood and knew I needed oral suction despite me being able to vocalize it. It is the little gestures that made a big difference. Later that day, we had a knock on the door when a hospital chaplain came to visit. He offered to pray with us. He said our nurse had recommended us for a visit. I never mentioned to our nurse that we regularly attend church or how much prayer meant to us. It was another small gesture that made a huge impact on us emotionally and spiritually. I am so grateful to have had her as a nurse. She did tell me later that she was an ICU nurse and recently transitioned over to mom baby however, she had picked up that shift in the ICU that day.

I truly believe it was no coincidence but rather God had placed her in my life for a reason. I didn’t realize how impactful her care aided in my traumatic experience. We will never forget her.