My husband and I made a painful trip to the Edward Hospital Labor and Delivery Unit. Our baby had died from a complication in utero and as such, we had to deliver the baby and say goodbye. As you can imagine, this was a terrible day filled with emotions that one is not prepared to deal with during what was supposed to be a joyous time.
Fortunately for us, we had a very special nurse. Suzette was amazing in every aspect. We had done some quick reading on the internet hours before and tried to understand what we were to expect when we arrived at the hospital and in those readings both my husband and I feared the worst. There were so many horror stories of how people were treated and how the situation was handled with the baby, etc. But, this was not the case. Suzette was there every moment, she took care of us as if we were her child, she took the time to explain to us what would happen but did so slowly over the course of a few hours making it easier to digest and understand. She asked for our baby's name so that she could refer to her as a person because she reminded us that it was OK to grieve and she was a person that we just got to meet.
Suzette went above and beyond during this entire journey. She worked 12-hour shifts but this night she stayed late to make sure we were comfortable after the baby was born. She gave the baby a bath and swaddled her up and encouraged us to hold her. She even had some bracelets for my husband and me. They were handmade and had a charm of little tiny feet. Mine was too small so she took it home that night and extended it and had it for me the next morning when she returned. I still wear it today as a symbol of our daughter who was too beautiful for earth. My story barely does her any justice. She truly is an amazing nurse. Before we had left we told her that we hope she gets to do some happy births too and she told us that if she had to pick she would choose us because we are the ones that need help the most and she has the ability to truly make a difference. And that is true beyond a shadow of a doubt. We were prepared with cribs and bottles, we weren't prepared for a funeral. We didn't know what to do, how to act, or what to expect. However, Suzette was there. If she didn't have an answer she found someone who could help us. We came in a mess and she helped us sort through what we were feeling and what we were worried about. Suzette wasn't afraid to get emotional with us. With the degree of investment, I'm certain these situations tear into her as well but she does it without hesitation because she truly cares about her patients. I can't say enough about how special this nurse is.