Olivia Oppel
September 2020
Olivia
Oppel
,
BSN, RN, CPN, CLC
Advanced Fetal Care Center
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston
,
MA
United States
Olivia Oppel overshadows these experiences in every way. Her love and concern for others cannot be taught in schools or even described with kind words in a letter and her compassion outshines the darkness of losing a baby.
My husband and I were referred to Boston Children's Hospital to confirm a fetal limb abnormality- we were anxious and devastated by the very idea of having something wrong with our baby. So seeking this confirmation, to begin with, was terrifying despite the devastation and heartbreak that followed. The Maternal Fetal Care Center and specifically Olivia Oppel have made this nightmare bearable. There aren't enough words to express our gratitude for Olivia.
My first encounter with Olivia was when she called me in between my initial referral and the appointment to be scheduled. Due to varying doctor schedules, our appointment was 8 days away. Sensing my defeated demeanor and anxiety Olivia had provided me with a direct line, an email, and a place I could call to leave messages or questions. She assured me she would call me back, and each time she did. This alone felt like the world was lifted off our shoulders. She had guided us through numerous appointments, disappointing diagnoses, several follow-up appointments, and eventually the termination of our pregnancy.
The past 8 weeks have been filled with heartbreak and tears and along every step, Olivia literally held us together. She has made herself available for our needs, went over information as many times as we needed her to, help make the arrangements for the future, and most of all cared for us with understanding and compassion with each engagement. Olivia treated every email, phone call, and concern as if it was her family calling her as if it were her own child that was sick and needed help.
I most recently contacted Olivia even after we have been discharged as patients as I had gotten confusing genetic results. Immediately, I called Olivia to see if she was able to interpret them. It was just before 5 pm but she quickly gathered information and was able to email me back hours later with answers to ease our mind, even for the time being. She understood the magnitude of our heartbreaking choice and never minimized it to a medical necessity. Having been a patient at another hospital, I have had the privilege to meet and be cared for by some of the most amazing hospital staff in the world. I am forever grateful to the doctors that saved my life and the nurses that treated me. Yet of all these amazing health professionals, Olivia Oppel overshadows these experiences in every way. Her love and concern for others cannot be taught in schools or even described with kind words in a letter and her compassion outshines the darkness of losing a baby. My family and I are so thankful to have met her during a time we needed her the most. If Angels are real, I am convinced she is one of them. Thank you for reading this and thank you to the entire Maternal Fetal Care Center as well as the doctors and staff at BCH that saves the lives of sick children and supports them and their loved ones through it all. We are forever grateful in every single way.
My first encounter with Olivia was when she called me in between my initial referral and the appointment to be scheduled. Due to varying doctor schedules, our appointment was 8 days away. Sensing my defeated demeanor and anxiety Olivia had provided me with a direct line, an email, and a place I could call to leave messages or questions. She assured me she would call me back, and each time she did. This alone felt like the world was lifted off our shoulders. She had guided us through numerous appointments, disappointing diagnoses, several follow-up appointments, and eventually the termination of our pregnancy.
The past 8 weeks have been filled with heartbreak and tears and along every step, Olivia literally held us together. She has made herself available for our needs, went over information as many times as we needed her to, help make the arrangements for the future, and most of all cared for us with understanding and compassion with each engagement. Olivia treated every email, phone call, and concern as if it was her family calling her as if it were her own child that was sick and needed help.
I most recently contacted Olivia even after we have been discharged as patients as I had gotten confusing genetic results. Immediately, I called Olivia to see if she was able to interpret them. It was just before 5 pm but she quickly gathered information and was able to email me back hours later with answers to ease our mind, even for the time being. She understood the magnitude of our heartbreaking choice and never minimized it to a medical necessity. Having been a patient at another hospital, I have had the privilege to meet and be cared for by some of the most amazing hospital staff in the world. I am forever grateful to the doctors that saved my life and the nurses that treated me. Yet of all these amazing health professionals, Olivia Oppel overshadows these experiences in every way. Her love and concern for others cannot be taught in schools or even described with kind words in a letter and her compassion outshines the darkness of losing a baby. My family and I are so thankful to have met her during a time we needed her the most. If Angels are real, I am convinced she is one of them. Thank you for reading this and thank you to the entire Maternal Fetal Care Center as well as the doctors and staff at BCH that saves the lives of sick children and supports them and their loved ones through it all. We are forever grateful in every single way.