Chelsea Wagoner
December 2023
Chelsea
Wagoner
,
BSN, RNC-NIC
NICU
St. Louis Children's Hospital
Saint Louis
,
MO
United States
Throughout his last day, Chelsea did everything in her power to ensure we were comfortable, not rushed, and that our son was in no pain.
My husband and I would like to nominate Chelsea Wagoner for The DAISY Award for her extraordinary care of our son, who was born and passed away one week later. We were grateful and blessed to have Chelsea as our nurse for four of those seven days.
We were wracked with fear and uncertainty upon walking into the NICU for the first time, still unable to process our child being delivered prematurely. While our care from all nurses and staff was a great experience, Chelsea's care was exceptional. She handled our son with care and warmth and made us feel at ease during all steps. She communicated clearly and ensured our understanding of every test or care given to our son. She provided a comforting presence, and it was clear that she adored our son. She taught us the different vital signs and ranges to be aware of and included us in his touch time. Something as simple as changing a diaper or helping bathe our son made such a difficult time more bearable. She allowed Oliver to know our presence through voice and touch. Chelsea also allowed us to be ourselves and feel whatever we felt in the moment - whether it was fear, anxiety, or happiness. We knew our son was in good hands in the rare instances when we needed a break to rest or go home to spend time with our daughter.
On the final day after deciding to transition our son to comfort measures, we were anxious about what awaited us. We had thought that Chelsea was off for the next several days, but as we flashed our badges to open the doors to 5100, we turned the corner and saw Chelsea sitting outside his room. I looked at my husband, and we locked eyes as my eyes welled with tears. No words were needed. We were both so overwhelmed with relief and comfort knowing Chelsea would be the nurse to support our son and us on his last day. What we envisioned to be a very dark and heavy day turned into a beautiful day, where we created the most loving memories with our son. Throughout his last day, Chelsea did everything in her power to ensure we were comfortable, not rushed, and that our son was in no pain. We were able to bathe him, help with his care, hold him skin-to-skin, and take our time saying goodbye.
She went above and beyond to create special craft mementos of our son's handprints and footprints that we will cherish forever. She also created special crafts for our daughter that she will be so appreciative of when she’s older.
Even after his passing, Chelsea handled our son with the gentlest hands. We knew, leaving his room for the last time, that Chelsea would handle our son with respect, warmth, and love. When our daughter is older and asks about her brother's birth, we will tell her about our heroes - the NICU nurses and doctors at St Louis Children's Hospital, specifically Chelsea.
We are forever grateful for Chelsea and will never forget the tender care, compassion, empathy, and expertise she demonstrated to our son during his seven days on Earth.
We were wracked with fear and uncertainty upon walking into the NICU for the first time, still unable to process our child being delivered prematurely. While our care from all nurses and staff was a great experience, Chelsea's care was exceptional. She handled our son with care and warmth and made us feel at ease during all steps. She communicated clearly and ensured our understanding of every test or care given to our son. She provided a comforting presence, and it was clear that she adored our son. She taught us the different vital signs and ranges to be aware of and included us in his touch time. Something as simple as changing a diaper or helping bathe our son made such a difficult time more bearable. She allowed Oliver to know our presence through voice and touch. Chelsea also allowed us to be ourselves and feel whatever we felt in the moment - whether it was fear, anxiety, or happiness. We knew our son was in good hands in the rare instances when we needed a break to rest or go home to spend time with our daughter.
On the final day after deciding to transition our son to comfort measures, we were anxious about what awaited us. We had thought that Chelsea was off for the next several days, but as we flashed our badges to open the doors to 5100, we turned the corner and saw Chelsea sitting outside his room. I looked at my husband, and we locked eyes as my eyes welled with tears. No words were needed. We were both so overwhelmed with relief and comfort knowing Chelsea would be the nurse to support our son and us on his last day. What we envisioned to be a very dark and heavy day turned into a beautiful day, where we created the most loving memories with our son. Throughout his last day, Chelsea did everything in her power to ensure we were comfortable, not rushed, and that our son was in no pain. We were able to bathe him, help with his care, hold him skin-to-skin, and take our time saying goodbye.
She went above and beyond to create special craft mementos of our son's handprints and footprints that we will cherish forever. She also created special crafts for our daughter that she will be so appreciative of when she’s older.
Even after his passing, Chelsea handled our son with the gentlest hands. We knew, leaving his room for the last time, that Chelsea would handle our son with respect, warmth, and love. When our daughter is older and asks about her brother's birth, we will tell her about our heroes - the NICU nurses and doctors at St Louis Children's Hospital, specifically Chelsea.
We are forever grateful for Chelsea and will never forget the tender care, compassion, empathy, and expertise she demonstrated to our son during his seven days on Earth.