My wife went into labor and Baby arrived 7 weeks early, weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces. While she had a normal heartbeat at birth, she was not breathing when she was born. The next few hours were the most frightening moments of our lives - as we sat in the recovery room for what seemed like an eternity until the Neonatologist arrived to tell us while Baby had a rough start, she was now stable with the assistance of a breathing tube.
Fast forward to today, our baby has been in the NICU for months and has been through a whole bunch - more than any baby girl should have to endure in a lifetime. She was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called DiGeorge Syndrome. As parents, this process has been stressful, mentally exhausting, frightening, and a true test of our faith. Yet, this process has highlighted how wonderful and emotionally attached we would get to our NICU nurses. While we have only had positive experiences with our NICU nurses, one stands out above all the rest: Erin Heavin. The care, support, and counseling Erin has consistently provided us has helped us cope with the reality of Baby's situation.
It came as no surprise when we learned Erin has been at St Vincent for over a decade - and is the daughter of a nurse. Her bedside manner is always very comforting. She has a firm grasp of our baby's needs, even the very minor ones, and that made us feel better as parents. It seemed like Erin was always working the day of one of Baby's surgical procedures or extubation attempts - as she would volunteer to go on the trips to the OR - and consult with us immediately after the procedure regarding the results. As we typically had a lot of questions, Erin took pride in educating us about everything from medicine, feeding amounts, bowel sounds, and specifics on the ventilator. The NICU can be a chaotic working environment, but we have never seen her rattled - or unable to listen and respond with a caring, sympathetic response even in our darkest moments.
I can tell Erin is viewed as a leader in the NICU by the way she communicates with her peers. While the nurses have structured assignments and duties, it seemed like Baby always demanded an extra set of hands. Erin's ability to communicate with the other nurses was masterful, as she calmly caught them up to speed on how they could assist. She was also very comfortable being our translator when the doctors or specialists would stop by to update us on Baby's status.
A few weeks ago, we were surprised to find out Erin was working on her birthday weekend. To her, this was her preference, as all of her best friends were working in the NICU anyway - there is nowhere else she would rather be.
All of the NICU nurses have been very technically sound, similar to Erin. However, it was her willingness to seek a deeper, personal connection with my wife and me that truly differentiated her care. My wife remarked how comfortable she felt talking to Erin about our daughter's condition, outlook, and next steps. Erin is a brilliant listener, calming presence, and communicated with us like she was a family member. Even while she was on vacation, she was persistent in communicating with my wife and other nurses through text messages. She truly cares about how Baby is doing - and that means the world to us.
My wife's birthday was Easter weekend (our 3rd week in the NICU) - and it brought tears to her eyes when she arrived to see an Easter basket filled with candy, girl clothes, lotions, lots of pink bows - and a heartfelt card.
I could go on and on about how appreciative we are to have our daughter in the caring hands of St. Vincent. The last months have been a roller coaster of emotions - and our goal is to find small wins and positives from each day - and to continue fighting just like our daughter is. We could not be more thankful for nurses, along with the RTs, Neonatologists, and specialists. We have learned it takes an entire team working in unison to produce extraordinary outcomes - and fortunately, we are blessed with the opportunity to gain close friendships with people like Erin through our stay in the NICU.