I am a healthcare worker and recently found myself as a patient when I went into labor. Once on the maternity floor, I met Erin whom I felt an immediate connection with. This was my first pregnancy and I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Erin guided me through each contraction and encouraged me as the contractions got closer and stronger. She helped ease my pain during some of the worst contractions I endured until I was able to get an epidural. Toward the end of my labor, the monitors showed my baby seemed to be in a bit of distress. Lots of things started happening all at once with the doctor calling in extra help to be on standby and lots of people in and out of the room. Erin made what started to seem like a scary, chaotic situation better by stopping what she was doing to explain exactly what was happening to me. She was confident and reassuring that everything was going to be ok and what the next steps would be. She helped me remain calm and shortly after I was able to start pushing and Erin coached me through until I was finally holding my daughter. Erin made me feel like her only priority that night and I literally would not have gotten through my labor without her.

The next night, I had Erin as my nurse again and she spent so much time with me trying to help me successfully feed my daughter. I was tired and discouraged but she kept working with me throughout the night until we had made progress and I felt comfortable. As healthcare workers, it’s easy to say “I was just doing my job”, but I will never forget how Erin took care of me and the way she made me feel. I am forever thankful for Erin helping me through my first delivery and I will never forget her kindness. As I said, I could not have done it without her!

Note: This is Erin's 2nd DAISY Award!