I would like to nominate Steph Weakland one of the many nurses who cared for our daughter, B. B was born prematurely at 33 weeks gestation. She weighed 4lbs 12oz and was 18" long. As you can image it was a very stressful time and a time of uncertainty for not only myself but for my entire family.
While B was being cared for in the NICU, I was unable to leave my bed due to receiving magnesium as part of my care/treatment. Delivering my child and not being able to see her was absolute hell (pardon my French). As soon as I was able to, I quickly took what felt like a forever ride from the Mother/Baby Unit to the NICU in my wheelchair. The first thing I noticed was the countless isolettes. My heart starting pounding as I got closer to my baby. I was nervous. My husband wheeled me closer to our daughter's isolette. I read the sign that read, "B". I couldn't believe my baby was so tiny and having to stay in such a contraption. When I asked who made the sign I was told; "Oh, Steph made that for her". Side note: Steph also made her a sign that had her name and footprints on it. These signs probably meant nothing to Stephanie, but to me and my family, it meant a lot. It meant so much we saved them for her baby keepsakes box.
Steph was an outstanding nurse who went way above the call of duty. Going above and beyond is an understatement for this nurse. My husband and I learned that she didn't have any children of her own, but her almost motherly instinct nearly fooled us. It seemed as though she had years of experience caring for her own children. As a mother, unable to care for your own newborn is devastating. Stephanie filled the gap of this motherly role, providing both emergency-quality medical skills and genuine sympathy and loving care to our daughter. She treated B as if she was her own. Stephanie has excellent communication skills and took the time to explain B's care while not only caring for our daughter but caring for other newborns at the same time as B. My husband never understood a thing about medical terminology and Steph was very understanding and patient with his ignorance. In fact, she always communicated with patience, realizing that we were extremely stressed out and she may need to repeat herself over time and time again. She didn't care how many times she had to repeat herself, she did so with a smile.
Steph was great at multi-tasking caring for multiple newborns at one time. Some newborns were more critical than our little B and during B's care, she sometimes was interrupted in order to quickly access situations with other newborns. Her ability to adapt to situations quickly was impeccable. She always remained ever vigilant, observant and detail-oriented to offer the best care to her tiny little patients. She always prioritized and organized so care was administered correctly.
Many nights as I left the hospital, I would cry down the hallway, out the elevator, arrive at my car and look up at the sign that read, "Children's Hospital" and wonder if my baby would be ok. Wondering if leaving her at a hospital with someone I never met in my life was ok to do. As you can image those nights spent at home went sleepless. When Steph was the attending nurse I felt so much relief lifted off my shoulders. I knew there was nothing to worry about and in fact, B would get to snuggle with someone that loved and adored her as much as I did! She would hold and rock my baby whenever she was able to.
I watched the baby camera a lot of nights to make sure B was ok. If she was out of her isolette I would begin to panic as I had no clue what was going on. If Steph was B's nurse and I was looking at the camera, you can bet your bottom dollar Steph left a note for me to see on the camera. She asked me if it was ok to write information to me on a note to ensure it didn't violate any privacy concerns. How thoughtful was she?!! The notes were as simple as, "I'm OK mommy! Love, B". The nights prior to B's discharge I would have such anxiety. Not with Steph as the nurse! Again I would see a little sticky note; "Full Bottle Mommy". You have no idea how calm this little gesture of writing notes made me (I kept every single note). It eased my mind entirely.
Stephanie made me feel so comfortable and I never ever questioned her ability as a nurse or a person. She is such a kind hearted person and nurse. She is definitely the nurse that is not there for the paycheck, she is there because she loves what she does. People like me and families like mine appreciate that tremendously.
With all that being said I would like to personally thank her. Steph - I know you know I will never be able to give you in return what you have given to me. I know you don't wear a cape, your job's not fighting crime, but when it comes to a superhero it is you that comes to mind. You are truly God sent and are one amazing nurse. Thank you for answering our endless questions, even when we had asked them before. Thank you for your skill, you are pretty amazing at what you do. Thank you for fighting for B when she was too tired to fight on her own. Thank you for being the first nurse to hand her to me. Thank you for pretending like it was normal when I handed you the freshly pumped bottles of breastmilk. Thank you for leaving me every single little note you ever wrote for me while I wasn't there. Most importantly, thank you for loving B as much as I do.
Most of the world still doesn't know what you do and how you do it. They don't understand how integral you are to the positive outcomes of these babies who started life so critically ill. I know that in the NICU, you really run things for the tiny lives you care for. That your opinions about my baby's care often dictates the course and direction of treatment as you consult with the neonatologist every day.
I also know that you are different than many other nurses. YOU ARE AMAZING! I will never forget you. In fact, our story about B's birth and 16-day NICU stay will never be told without mentioning you. So the next time you wave your access card to enter the place that few eyes have seen before, just know that you are appreciated. I'm so glad to know you and your amazing heart. I will never be able to think of B's life without thinking of you and everything you did for her.