Kami Ben-Iesau
November 2021
Kami
Ben-Iesau
,
RN
NICU
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center
Roseville
,
CA
United States
I remember feeling sick and scared I was going to break her and Kami just looked at me and said with her warm beautiful smile, “you got this.”
Kami is and has continued to show up for myself and my daughter since we first entered the NICU 4 years ago. I hope that my story holds as much weight as she holds love in my heart.
In early November 2017, I was experiencing severe pain in my stomach at 24 weeks along in my pregnancy and was advised by the Kaiser hotline to get up to Roseville Kaiser to labor & delivery. Once I arrived I was told my baby was facing down and she was ready to go and the plan was to keep me there and attempt to keep her inside of me for the next 10+ weeks at least. That plan failed when my water broke and immediately I was rushed into an emergency c-section. I remember waking up surprised she had lived even though I was praying to God that He would save her life in the moments before I went under. Knowing that I wouldn’t survive if I lost her. Praying she would fight for her own life that somehow this nightmare I was living would eventually end ok. I later learned that my placenta had detached and had I not been in the hospital at that moment my daughter would not have lived and I likely would have bled out and died myself.
As the days turned to weeks we learned that our daughter needed a PDA surgery and at that time I met Kami. She was a light in the dark. Literally. She advised me, cared for me, took me in and I felt as though I had family around me and my baby right away. Quickly she decided to primary Audrey and I honestly can’t remember a moment from that point on that I didn’t believe in good things. I had to. I needed that for my daughter's sake but also the proof was in this human that arrived right when I needed her and I don’t believe in those kinds of accidents. God heard my fears and prayers and sent me an angel.
As the weeks then turned to months Kami gave my daughter her first bow, helped me learn to feed her, and eventually the amazing day came when I was finally able to do skin on skin and hold her for the very first time…Kami was right there. I remember feeling sick and scared I was going to break her and Kami just looked at me and said with her warm beautiful smile, “you got this.”
Almost half a year later I was finally able to take our daughter home. Kami never stopped showing up for me and my daughter. Every dumb question I had she carefully answered never ever once making me feel anything but loved and protected. Four years have gone by and Kami is still very much in our lives. She changed my life for the better. I know now that angels walk this earth and this one in particular saved me. I ask that Kami be considered for this special award so that she knows that she touches lives for a lifetime. I’m so grateful to have her in mine. My daughter is too!
In early November 2017, I was experiencing severe pain in my stomach at 24 weeks along in my pregnancy and was advised by the Kaiser hotline to get up to Roseville Kaiser to labor & delivery. Once I arrived I was told my baby was facing down and she was ready to go and the plan was to keep me there and attempt to keep her inside of me for the next 10+ weeks at least. That plan failed when my water broke and immediately I was rushed into an emergency c-section. I remember waking up surprised she had lived even though I was praying to God that He would save her life in the moments before I went under. Knowing that I wouldn’t survive if I lost her. Praying she would fight for her own life that somehow this nightmare I was living would eventually end ok. I later learned that my placenta had detached and had I not been in the hospital at that moment my daughter would not have lived and I likely would have bled out and died myself.
As the days turned to weeks we learned that our daughter needed a PDA surgery and at that time I met Kami. She was a light in the dark. Literally. She advised me, cared for me, took me in and I felt as though I had family around me and my baby right away. Quickly she decided to primary Audrey and I honestly can’t remember a moment from that point on that I didn’t believe in good things. I had to. I needed that for my daughter's sake but also the proof was in this human that arrived right when I needed her and I don’t believe in those kinds of accidents. God heard my fears and prayers and sent me an angel.
As the weeks then turned to months Kami gave my daughter her first bow, helped me learn to feed her, and eventually the amazing day came when I was finally able to do skin on skin and hold her for the very first time…Kami was right there. I remember feeling sick and scared I was going to break her and Kami just looked at me and said with her warm beautiful smile, “you got this.”
Almost half a year later I was finally able to take our daughter home. Kami never stopped showing up for me and my daughter. Every dumb question I had she carefully answered never ever once making me feel anything but loved and protected. Four years have gone by and Kami is still very much in our lives. She changed my life for the better. I know now that angels walk this earth and this one in particular saved me. I ask that Kami be considered for this special award so that she knows that she touches lives for a lifetime. I’m so grateful to have her in mine. My daughter is too!