Chris cared for my husband and me during one of the hardest times we have yet to experience. I was admitted to the hospital at 24 weeks because my daughter was not growing, had an issue with her brain and was not responding well during her ultrasound. I was told I would be on the high-risk floor until I delivered. My husband and I were devastated. All of our hopes of delivering a healthy daughter were thrown out the window. I share this in hopes of painting the picture of how terrified and scared we were.
Chris was our nurse for three nights in a row and she was the absolute best. Chris humanized our situation and made us feel like we were more than just patients to her. She took the time to talk to us about things going on aside from our hospital world. She spoke to us about sports, the weather, and really anything else we wanted to chat about. It was such a nice distraction and breath of fresh air whenever she came in the room. It was so nice to have someone take extra time to say hello and not just come in and do her work and leave. She truly cared about us and wanted us to feel at ease in her care and she did just that.
The biggest thing that stuck out to me, and this may seem trivial, was when she would come in the middle of the night to adjust my monitoring strips. Either the baby would move or I would move and she would have to come in and readjust them in order to find her heartbeat. I was asleep but I remember how she would ensure I was tucked in and all covered up after she was done. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about this moment because it made me feel so cared for and loved. No matter how old you are, you still want your mom when you are sick or scared. My 29-year-old self appreciated that small gesture because that is something my mom would have done if she were with me in the room. It warmed my heart and made me feel at peace.
It has taken me 16 months to sit down and finally write this. Despite the time that has lapsed I have still thought about Chris often and how much she meant to my husband and me. I hope she remembers us and our daughter. I hope she gets to read this and feel loved and appreciated and reminded just how much of a difference she makes to her patients. Thank you, Chris!