March 2023
Sabrina
Villoria
,
BSN, RN
Newborn Intensive Care (NICU)
Wolfson Children's Hospital
Jacksonville
,
FL
United States
Instead of remembering that day as one of pain, I remember the look on our faces as we snuggled our tiny baby thanks to Sabrina's quick thinking and photography skills.
Nothing about our baby's arrival into this world went as planned or was expected. Those first days after his birth and transfer to the NICU are a blur of terror that I still do not remember clearly. What I do remember is that Sabrina was always there next to me during the hard moments. She worked tirelessly to keep our little one alive during his first days and weeks. She held us up in our hardest moments. She encouraged us and supported us when the days felt more than we could handle. She advocated for our little one and cheered him on as he made progress toward graduation. In the midst of terrifying diagnosis after terrifying diagnosis, Sabrina was there offering calm reassurance. When I was broken and sobbing Sabrina knew exactly what to offer for comfort. On the worst day of my life, when I could not see past my grief, Sabrina was there to help me navigate the medical devices to hold my micro-premie for the first time. That simple act transformed a day of heartbreak into a tender moment that soothed my heart right when I needed it. Instead of remembering that day as one of pain, I remember the look on our faces as we snuggled our tiny baby thanks to Sabrina's quick thinking and photography skills. On another day, we were reeling after our baby had a crisis overnight and once again Sabrina was there helping to translate the complexities of the various tests and ultimate diagnosis. She was not even assigned to our care that day, but she knew I needed her as the practitioner and Neo threw a mountain of information at us. She was calm. She was reassuring. Having Sabrina in that room with us that day made all the difference.