Having your first baby is supposed to be an unforgettable memory, one of the most special moments of a woman's life. In my case, this was semi-true. I went into labor with my first son at 5 weeks premature. My son's father and I didn't have the best relationship. Once I was admitted, Heather was on shift and I was lucky enough to have her as my nurse. Six hours of labor, I felt alone, and like I was doing something wrong. I had very little support, only my parents showed up within the last hour of labor, my son's father laid covered up on the couch only getting up to yell to Heather to get me ice chips after I had asked him for some. No one was comfortable. I was absolutely heartbroken at the fact that no one wanted to be there with me to share this special time because of him. Heather would make her rounds and tell me that I was doing great and that I'm a tough one. She gave me the encouragement that I needed to hear. It wasn't until it came time to get my epidural that they sent my son's father out of the room, I sat on the side of the bed, and Heather gave me a pillow to hug. She was rubbing the sides of my arms and she looked at me and again told me I was doing great. Thinking maybe that it was just her job to tell me that, I looked at her thinking to myself, "yea, right". I felt like I was doing nothing but making my son's father mad because of me occasionally moaning in pain, and since no one wanted to be in the room with me. I was alone.
Then Heather said to me, "I'm so sorry you have such a crappy support system". Right then, in the midst of everything, what she just said to me made me finally see, it wasn't me. I wasn't doing wrong. I knew at that moment that Heather felt how I was feeling, that she saw the hurt in my eyes. I thanked her but left it at that. When it came time to push, my son's father stood at my feet, Heather was at my other side. While the entire time I was pushing, not one word of encouragement came from my son's father, all I heard was Heather's voice. "Great job! You're pushing great! You're doing wonderful" she changed the whole birthing process for me. She even stayed past her shift with me; she didn't leave me until after my son was born. I know she knew I needed her.
Then, for 2 years, I tried to find her. I couldn't remember her name. I called the records department and never could reach them because of my conflicting work schedule. I went to the hospital to visit a friend who had just had a baby a few months ago and I was standing at the nurse front desk talking to another nurse from when I had my second son when Heather walked up, smiling at me. She said, "I remember you". I looked at her and said to her "yea, you look very familiar to me" when she replied, "I had you a few years ago in room 102, you were having a few issues".
Right then it hit me. I immediately gasped and started crying. It was her! For 2 years I tried to find her, to thank her for not giving up on me and recognizing the hurt I was going through. While all my nurses were great, all of them very sweet, helpful, empathetic and were great at what they did, it was Heather who I will never, for as long as I live, be able to repay or thank enough for those few hours. She made the birth of my first son memorable.
I truly believe Heather was my angel sent from above that day. She is a great asset to the family birthplace and needs to be recognized for her all around greatness. I am eternally grateful. Thank you.