April 2024
Donna
Purvis
,
RN
RNICU
UAB Hospital
Birmingham
,
AL
United States
Donna made sure our baby’s passing was exactly what we wanted it to be and the kind of death our baby deserved – full of love, surrounded by our people, and most of all, comfortable.
I had the privilege of witnessing Donna’s exceptional leadership and dedication when my normal pregnancy ended with an emergent Cesarean section, and my child was born six weeks premature. What we thought would be a few weeks in the hospital for our baby to grow and learn how to eat on her own turned into a seven-month hospital stay on the Regional Newborn Intensive Care Unit (RNICU). My baby’s hospital course was complex, to say the least, and none of the doctors could figure out why our child couldn’t eat, couldn’t gain weight, needed more oxygen, and was agitated all the time.
At four months old, after enrolling in a whole-genome sequencing research study, our child received a diagnosis of MIRAGE syndrome. MIRAGE is a very rare genetic disease, and most babies diagnosed with it are either stillborn or die by the age of two or three. This diagnosis was obviously devastating, and we received it while we were at Children’s of Alabama for a surgery consultation. When we got the news, we immediately told our medical team that we just wanted to go “home” – back to the RNICU.
Our time after that on the RNICU was the happiest three months of our lives, and none of the things we got to do with our baby would have been possible without Donna’s help. We were able to take our baby outside for walks in the courtyard every day. Our child loved watching the trees and tasting the outside air. We decorated the room with family photos, did arts and crafts, and had almost weekly themed photoshoots. In October, we celebrated Halloween every day until our baby’s last. The memories and the quality time I got with my baby before our child died are priceless. I cannot overstate how peaceful and loving our child’s death was. Donna made sure our baby’s passing was exactly what we wanted it to be and the kind of death our baby deserved – full of love, surrounded by our people, and most of all, comfortable.
Throughout the hospital stay, we felt completely supported and frankly loved by Donna. She came to the room almost daily to see what the RNICU staff could do better, what we thought they were doing well, support us emotionally, and, of course, see our sweet baby. Donna and her nursing staff became our family. Above all, Donna went the extra mile to make sure our baby’s life was happy, comfortable, and full of love. They loved my child like one of their own, and I will never be able to thank them for the care they gave all three of us.
As a UAB nurse practitioner myself, I can unequivocally say that Donna has created a culture of excellence within the RNICU unlike anything I’ve seen, and I wholeheartedly recommend her for this award. My family would not have survived without her, and her commitment to her patients, their families, her staff, and this organization is unmatched.
At four months old, after enrolling in a whole-genome sequencing research study, our child received a diagnosis of MIRAGE syndrome. MIRAGE is a very rare genetic disease, and most babies diagnosed with it are either stillborn or die by the age of two or three. This diagnosis was obviously devastating, and we received it while we were at Children’s of Alabama for a surgery consultation. When we got the news, we immediately told our medical team that we just wanted to go “home” – back to the RNICU.
Our time after that on the RNICU was the happiest three months of our lives, and none of the things we got to do with our baby would have been possible without Donna’s help. We were able to take our baby outside for walks in the courtyard every day. Our child loved watching the trees and tasting the outside air. We decorated the room with family photos, did arts and crafts, and had almost weekly themed photoshoots. In October, we celebrated Halloween every day until our baby’s last. The memories and the quality time I got with my baby before our child died are priceless. I cannot overstate how peaceful and loving our child’s death was. Donna made sure our baby’s passing was exactly what we wanted it to be and the kind of death our baby deserved – full of love, surrounded by our people, and most of all, comfortable.
Throughout the hospital stay, we felt completely supported and frankly loved by Donna. She came to the room almost daily to see what the RNICU staff could do better, what we thought they were doing well, support us emotionally, and, of course, see our sweet baby. Donna and her nursing staff became our family. Above all, Donna went the extra mile to make sure our baby’s life was happy, comfortable, and full of love. They loved my child like one of their own, and I will never be able to thank them for the care they gave all three of us.
As a UAB nurse practitioner myself, I can unequivocally say that Donna has created a culture of excellence within the RNICU unlike anything I’ve seen, and I wholeheartedly recommend her for this award. My family would not have survived without her, and her commitment to her patients, their families, her staff, and this organization is unmatched.