On August 18, after an uneventful pregnancy I was admitted to L and D and diagnosed with HELLP syndrome. This was my first pregnancy and although I am a nurse here at CCH, I was overwhelmed and scared because this was outside my normal scope of practice. Tara was my night nurse and did her best to reassure me and keep me calm through it all. She kept me informed of everything that was being done for me and valued my questions and concerns. I truly felt as though her care and compassion for me was not just because I was a part of the "CCH family". She exemplifies our ICARE values. I thought for sure I would deliver while she was my nurse, but my labor did not go as planned.

Tara left at 11am on the 19th and assured me she would see me in the morning. I finally delivered my beautiful baby boy at 4pm, unfortunately due to complications he was unresponsive and a rapid response was initiated. He was sent to CHOP and I spent the night without my husband or newborn son. It was the worst day of my life, I never knew I could feel pain like that. All of the L and D nurses were fabulous, compassionate and caring but I truly felt as if I had a special bond with Tara; she just "got" me.

The next morning Tara walked in my room, said "I'm so sorry" and just hugged me, which gave me more comfort than any words could. I felt like I could finally open up and cry freely. It was all I needed. Her support got me through one of the most difficult times in my life. She went above and beyond, doing her best to get me discharged as soon as possible. This allowed me to be where I really needed to be, which was with my son. She was truly my angel, my saving grace.