My daughter was born and passed away 8 hours later due to complications during birth.

Deanna was my intake nurse that night and was with me through the entire delivery. As a first-time mom scared of how the labor and delivery process works, Deanna gave my husband and me comfort during the process. She cracked some good jokes and lightened the mood during a very exciting and nervous time in our lives. She guided us through the process and explained everything as we went through it. She remained calm for us even when things in our room were not very calm. The birth was traumatic and fast. Deanna always supported me through this whole experience, encouraging me to calm down and ensure I was stable, along with all the nurses and doctors, after our daughter was born.

I had Deanna a couple of times during my recovery in the hospital. Having her as my nurse again after our daughter’s birth gave me a lot of comfort. She was a great support and even made me mocktails and cracked some jokes as I recovered. It was the simple little things and gestures that made this traumatic experience a little more bearable. She was more than just a nurse that day and during my entire stay. She was my support and comfort through a very hard time in my life and my husband’s life as we lost our daughter that day.

Amy was my midwife upon arriving at Labor & Delivery. She was with me from the moment I came in and until my daughter was born. My daughter’s birth was traumatic and fast. She stayed by my side the entire ride, holding my hand, and never leaving me alone as the doctors and nurses got me stabilized after delivering, because my husband ran to the NICU with our daughter, who was fighting for her life.

Even after I was in recovery from giving birth, Amy made sure I knew what was going on with our daughter, since I couldn’t be with her. Amy and I cried together, and she was my support when my husband was in the NICU. She made sure we knew what had happened to cause our daughter’s condition and that we understood it all. She came back on her off shift later to see us after our daughter had passed away to give us a shoulder to cry on, to talk with us, to grieve with us, and understand the next steps of what my body would be going through now and how to handle it all. She was not just a midwife to me that day, but a sense of comfort and a friend to lean on.

Kasie was my nurse right after I delivered, and I also had her a few times until I was discharged. Kasie wasn’t just my nurse but a support through it all. Not only for myself but for my husband and my family. She made sure we knew all the options and understood everything before and after our daughter had passed away. She cried with us, guided us, and would just sit down and talk with us when we needed. Kasie was there when our daughter took her last breath with us.

Kate was my nurse after I had delivered, and after she had just passed away. Kate wasn’t just my nurse but a support through it all, not only for me but also for my family. She made sure we knew all the options and understood everything after our daughter had passed. She cried with us, guided us, and would just sit down and talk with us when we needed. She took great care of me while I was in the hospital, but also took great care of myself and my husband emotionally and mentally.

Kate connected with us on a personal level. My husband’s birthday was the day after my daughter’s birth. We had just lost our daughter the day before, but Kate made sure we still got to celebrate his birthday and that he enjoyed his first birthday as a dad, even with the circumstances. She had gotten him cupcakes and sang “Happy Birthday” to him because she says everyone needs a cake on their birthday. It shed a bit of light on such a dark day and made sure that he was not forgotten.

Katy was my nurse two days after we lost our daughter. She wasn’t there for her birth or when we lost our daughter, but would never have thought that. She took the time to sit down and talk with us about grief. She cried with us, comforted us, and loved us and our daughter like her own family. She even crocheted our daughter a Halloween bat stuffed animal. The day we lost our daughter was traumatic, and the grief had not fully set in until a few days later. She shared her personal life with us, stories, and made sure we knew to give ourselves grace as we grieved the loss of our daughter. She made sure we ate, showered, took care of ourselves, and knew our options for getting through grief and the next coming steps we would have to endure.

Cathy was our daughter’s nurse in the NICU. She was there when our daughter was born and until she took her last breath. Cathy wasn’t just our daughter’s nurse, but a support for us all through everything. When our daughter was born and taken to the NICU, Cathy had my husband call our parents to ensure we had support. When he called, he couldn’t speak or explain things. Cathy then took his phone and explained everything and what was going on since he couldn’t, as this tragedy was unfolding. She was a great nurse for our daughter and a massive support for her team, and they did everything they could for her.

Upon delivery and her stay in the NICU, our daughter was in the best hands she could possibly be in. Cathy made sure we knew all the options, and she made sure we cherished the little bit of time we had with her. She was very honest with us and made sure we understood things before we made decisions for our daughter. Cathy was there when our daughter took her last breath with us. She encouraged us to do skin to skin with our daughter, giving her a bath after she passed, dressing her, and keeping her in our room until we left.

Each of these nurses encouraged us to make decisions no parent wants to make, especially when you are not in the right state of mind with everything going on. Decisions that new parents who are grieving cannot fathom as being the right decision or normal. We are so thankful these nurses encouraged us to make these decisions and gave us their opinions on these decisions as well. It will never be an easy situation, but each of these nurses made it more bearable.

All these staff were more than just nurses during our stay, and we will never forget the impact they made on us during the most vulnerable time of our lives.