Recently, our world changed forever. I was diagnosed with stage four twin to twin transfusion syndrome. Over the course of the next several weeks, we tried everything to get the girls, healthy and sustain a full-term pregnancy. However, that plan did not go as expected. I gave birth to our twin daughters M and M via emergency c-section at 24 weeks and 3 days. M, my recipient twin, lived 17 minutes in her daddy’s arms. M, went on to live 4 days before passing. Henna was our nurse for 3 of M’s 4 days on earth.

I cannot begin to describe just how incredible of a woman and nurse she is. With a lot of local families, CHOP granted us unlimited visitors to see our sweet M. Henna became a part of that family. She welcomed our family members, would answer questions… and there were many… that we and our family members had. She took pictures for us to give us what memories we could muster. Each day our two year old son would visit, Henna would show him everything and welcome him into her room. When M had a cardiac episode with my husband and me in the room, Henna swiftly and confidently intervened. She was gentle and soothing to M. She guided the other nurses. Once M was stable, Henna explained to us what happened. She showed each step of what they do when these situations arise. She showed us the medical equipment, what they look for on the monitors, and how it gets documented.

Henna included me each morning in M’s cares. For 3 days, we believed Maeve’s kidneys weren’t functioning, and we waited patiently for her to urinate. The doctors had shared that if she went 3 days without urinating, it would be unlikely that she would regain kidney function. On the third day, feeling discouraged, I changed M’s diaper with Henna. Henna’s excitement was immediate- “We have a wet diaper!!” I cried tears of joy, as Henna excitedly weighed M’s diaper to find she had urinated 7mls.

The next day, M’s lungs took a turn for the worse. At rounds that morning, it became apparent that the team felt they were running out of rabbits to pull out of the hat. We spoke with the attending physician, PA, and Henna and subsequently decided to cease medical intervention. Henna spoke to us privately after the team left and offered to stay past the end of her shift as long as we needed her, and that she wanted to be there for us that day. She made the impossible moments that day seem slightly more bearable. When our son came to see M, she helped him hold her hand and touch her. She brought snacks and drinks so we stayed fed and hydrated. When our parents came to say goodbye, she took pictures for us and helped us savor each moment. When we decided it was time to say goodbye, she herself said goodbye to M, gave us the time we needed, and offered for us to give her a bath, have a private room for more quiet time, and all the time we needed.

Leaving the NICU room was the hardest thing I ever did. The tears fell down my face as I clutched my c-section incision in pain. Henna got me a wheelchair when I wasn’t strong enough to walk out of the room. She hugged me and cried with me and reminded me that we made the ultimate loving decision that day for M. I cannot describe the comfort and peace that Henna brought us in those short days. She is forever in our hearts and the most beautiful human we could have asked for to love our baby girl.